GB2029392A

GB2029392A - Process and Apparatus for the Utilization of Diluted Dung Waters

Info

Publication number: GB2029392A
Application number: GB7920569A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Richter Gedeon Nyrt; Richter Gedeon Vegyeszeti Gyar RT
Current assignee: Richter Gedeon Nyrt; Richter Gedeon Vegyeszeti Gyar Nyrt
Priority date: 1978-08-25
Filing date: 1979-08-24
Publication date: 1980-03-19
Also published as: DE2934361C2; SE444452B; YU207479A; HU175822B; CA1131811A; FR2433891A1; CH643437A5; GB2029392B; SE7907019L; FR2433891B1; DE2934361A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a process and apparatus for the utilization of raw diluted dung water (Gülle), in which the diluted dung water is heat-treated by heating it to at least 80 DEG C, then cooling it to 40 to 30 DEG C in a heat exchanger 6, a precursor culture medium is prepared from the heat- treated diluted dung water, biomaterial(s) and/or from at least one nitrogen-containing inorganic salt and/or from water-soluble vitamin(s); a lower alcohol as well as rotted sludge containing organic impurity, derived mainly in the course of urban sewage treatment, as well as optionally heat-treated diluted dung water are then added to the culture medium and by fermentation of the mixture inoculum is produced; the inoculum, as well as lower alcohol and optionally culture medium, are mixed with the heat-treated diluted dung water, and the mixture is fermented at 26 to 38 DEG C and biomass is separated from the ferment juice derived in the course of fementation.

Description

SPECIFICATION Process and Apparatus for the Utilization of Diluted Dung Waters This invention relates to a process and apparatus for the utilization of diluted dung waters, especially diluted pig dung waters. More particularly, the invention relates to the utilization of dung waters of large-scale animal keeping.

The problem of treating animal waste is territorially concentrated and can cause particular problems in large-scale animal keeping owing to the volume of waste produced.

An advantage of large-scale animal keeping compared with individual farming is that the mechanized collection and removal of the waste, first of all the manure, is originally included in the equipment of the animal keeping farms. Thus, it enters the plant section of the wastage treatment in a given form and in a specific quantity per hour.

A primary objective of treating the waste is the protection of the environment, i.e. preventing the accumulation of contaminating and rotting materials.

The level of efficiency required in the treatment method has considerably increased in the course of time.

In the simplest case, the decomposing material may be admitted into traditional sewage clarifying plant for the purpose of obtaining purified water and stable sludge as a result of the treatment. The latter is suitable for fertilization.

Owing to the high organic matter content, the result of the clarification is not satifactory.

Consequently, efforts have been made to relieve the clarifying plant by filtering the diluted dung water in such a way that a material of identical consistency with that of t.aditiGnal manure and spreadable onto the soil is separated, and only the filtrate is admitted into the biological clarifier (Hungarian Patent Specification No. TA-i 384).

According to a more advanced method, if the filtrate is treated with a coagulant instead of being biologically clarified and the organic matter is separated by a chemical process, then the water can be discharged and the precipitatant can be mixed with filtered manure (Hungarian Patent Specification No. EE-243 1).

The economic efficiency of using the compacted or stabilized organic matter as a manure is debatable, and fits poorly into the technology of large-scale agricultural production.

Consequently, efforts have been made to achieve a more effective utilization of the material as fodder. An earlier example of this is given in U.S.

Patent Specification No. 3,950,562. According to this process, a salt is separated, and then the organic solid substance and the precipitable portion of the dissolved protein mixed with fresh fodder is recycled.

Recycling the organic substances of the manure in unchanged form is for the time being an accepted but not an advanced method for preservation of the non-utilized fodder proportion.

The digestibility of the organic matter remaining from the fodder is obviously poorer and the risk of spreading disease is very high.

The suitably complex organic matter can be rebuilt into protein of good quality provided that it is utilized with bacteria in a fermentation process.

The bacteria reproduce on the nutriment and form a bacterium mass, a so-called biomass, which is a fodder of comparable quality with the biological value of meatmeal, fishmeal and soya-flour.

A certain part of the organic matter is built into the bacteria even with the methods of traditional sewage clarification. Thus, for instance, the sludge resulting from aerated biological clarification will be enriched in protein content in comparison with the initial waste materials.

According to Czechoslovakian Patent Specification No. PV 3919-74, pig dung water is mixed with communal sewage for the purpose of better treatability. After aerated biological clarification, the sludge is recommended for feeding.

Solving the transformation by fermentation of the diluted dung water is similarly a procedure of several years' standing. The task is difficult, and after several simple unsuccessful attempts, highly variable steps have been employed in order to overcome the problem.

The dung water, as a culture medium, is inoculated with Bacterium enteromyces and Bacterium thermocellulyticus. The fermentation is brought into foam-phase with surface-active additives and mechanical foaming, and then operated with aeration (U.S. Patent Specification No. 3,878,303).

The process combined with a sequence of steps is aimed at obtaining water of good quality and pathogen-free bacterium protein, in the course of which dung water is digested with neutral protease, and massively inoculated with Hyphomyceta, followed by addition of starch sugarized with amylose, and fermented by aeration. Finally, a second fermentation is carried out by adding nutrients and micro-nutrients, and inoculation with Ascomyceta (W. German Patent Specification No. 2,535,296).

The raw dung water too is made fermentable similarly with enzyme hydrolysis according to W.

German Patent Specification No. 2,609,256. The solid part of the hydrolysate is discarded as wastage, while aerated bacterial fermentation is carried out with the solution to obtain a biomass.

The process described in U.S. Patent Specification No. 3,973,043 brings the manure diluted with water into anaerobic fermentation.

Methane gas is obtained from the fermentation, and nitrogen gas is bubbled through during the process. This is a single - or double - step fermentation, and its product has a soilimproving effect. The supernatant material obtained from the product separation passes into an aerobic fermentor, from which fodder product is obtainable. Inoculating material is not used during the process.

Finally, in the two-step automatic-controlled process, a biomass for fodder purposes is obtained with the technology according to E.

German Patent Specification No. 128,067. The solid material is separated from the dung water, the solution is treated in an aerated clarifier, and the sludge obtained is separated again. Based on a continuous nitrogen determination, a calculated quantity of methanol is admitted automatically into the supernatant material, and furthermore phosphate and other salts are added, and thus it is subjected to repeated aerated fermentation.

The fodder protein is obtained from this latter stage. The water leaving on separation of the biomass is conducted into the same clarifier.

None of the known processes either by themselves or combined fulfull the requirement of obtaining fodder protein of suitable quality from the dung water by a simple process and, by the realization of this, eliminate the problem of waste disposal or destruction.

The product of the simple volume-reducing separation processes is invariably of manure quality, and the methods of the biological sewage clarification do not tackle the high organic matter content. Removal of a certain part of the solid material, or dilution of the dung water with communal sewage are not genuine solutions.

Only the circumstances of the unchanged process are improved at the expense of obtaining polutant, or overloading the communal sewage clarification.

So far the fermentation processes have led to a suitable product only by means of a series of steps, i.e. through enzyme decomposition and fermentation, repeated fermentation with different microorganisms, anaerobic and aerobic fermentation. At the same time, relieving solid substance sPparations are brought about between the steps, while the problem of waste disposal is created again and again.

The combined stock process carried out in the foam-phase (US Patent No. 3,878,303) may be regarded as direct target-fermentation. However, its disadvantage is that it requires sterile inoculating fermentation, considerable air supply and a high-speed foam generator. Thus, in relation to the general local facilities and destination of the product, it is an extremely demanding technical solution.

We have sought to provide a solution for the utilization of diluted dung water, especially pig dung water, whereby the dung water is transformed in its entire quantity to a material harmless in respect of environment and health protection, and in addition a certain part of the material should be available in the form of a disease-free product suitable for direct feeding of animals, containing the valuable organic and inorganic matters of the dung water in concentrated form and completely meeting hygienic requirements.

Our invention is based on the following recognition: the suitably heat-treated, diluted dung water (heated to a minimum 800C temperature) is suitable in an unexpected way and to an unexpected degree for the propagation of microorganisms, including the reproduction of methanol-utilizing bacterium flora, provided that the pH value is below 7, preferably between 6.5 and 6.8, which permits the use of the diluted dung water as a fermentation culture medium and the production of a biomass product rich in proteins. Since the heat treatment destroys the pathogen bacteria, while the large molecular components become more suitable for enzyme decomposition, in the case of protein fermentation, the composition of the product is more stable, and more suitable for feeding.An alcohol of 1-3 carbon atoms added to the heattreated diluted dung water keeps the bacterium flora of the fermentation in balance.

A further essential recognition is that the decomposition of the highly complex nutrient in the diluted dung water and its incorporation into the bacterium body is possible only with a mixed bacterium culture, which equally contains bacteria decomposing the large molecular materials of the fodder remainder, just as well as the species forming the intermediate bodies into each other and building them into bacterium protein. Such a bacterium culture is obtainable from the decayed sludge of urban sewage clarification, as well as from the heat-treated diluted dung water itself by a suitable treatment process.

Finally, the invention is based on the recognition, especially in the field of fermentation, that by a specific connection of the part units and structural parts known by themselves, the equipment for realization of the process is rationally constructible for the utilization of the diluted dung water.

Thus, the invention provides a process for the utilization of raw diluted dung water fGulle), in which.' a) the diluted dung water is heat-treated by heating it to at least 800C, then cooling it to 40 to 300C; b) a precursor culture medium is prepared from the heat-treated diluted dung water, biomaterial(s) and/or at least one nitrogencontaining inorganic salt and/or at least one water-soluble vitamin or precursor thereof; ; c) an alcohol of 1 to 3 carbon atoms, as well as rotted sludge containing organic impurity, derived mainly in the course of urban sewage treatment, and optionally heat-treated diluted dung water, are added to the culture medium, and by fermentation of the mixture, inoculum is produced d) inoculum, as well as an alcohol of 1 to 3 carbon atoms, and optionally culture medium, are mixed with the heat-treated diluted dung water, and the mixture is fermented at a temperature of 26 to 380C; and e) a biomass is separated from the ferment juice derived in the course of fermentation.

The diluted dung water is preferably heattreated by heating it to 95 to 1050C.

The alcohol of 1 to 3 carbon atoms is preferably methanol.

In producing inoculum with the aid of decayed sludge, the recommended procedure comprises repeatedly adding the characteristic nutrients used in the fermentation, while their utilization, owing to the environment of the bacteria concerned, reaches a required velocity.

On the basis of the dung water analyses, which are occasionally influenced by the fodder, it may be necessary, as stated previously, to increase the ammonium-nitrogen content. This is advisable especially when the ammonium-nitrogen content of the dung water is below the 200 mg/l value. In this case, the culture medium is prepared with the addition of at least one inorganic nitrogencontaining salt.

Thus, according to the invention, the heattreated pig dung water is inoculated with methanol from the decayed sludge resulting from urban sewage clarification and with the dung water enriched culture, and thus the fermentation proceeds continuously or semi-continuously. In addition to the heat-treated dung water, methanol is utilised in the culture medium, thereby keeping the methanol level of the fermentation between 0.04 to 0.08%. Since a culture medium of over pH 7 in the fermenter would cause the fermentation to deteriorate, the pH is preferably corrected when it is in excess of the above limit.

The ferment juice is processed to obtain fodder protein in the course of which the biomass is dried in compacted condition.

A decanter or separator is used for compaction and a rotary drier or spray drier is used for drying.

The fermentation and preparation of the inoculant may take place with or without aeration.

The developed culture is different in both cases. In the aerated process the course is fast, the feeding velocity applicable during fermentation is 0.05 to 0.5 1 culture medium fermenter. space/hour.

Without aeration, methane-forming bacterial will predominate and the increasing amount of methane flowing through the air space will bring about anaerobic conditions. The processes of these are slow, the permissible feeding velocity generally being 0.002 to 0.011 culture medium fermenter/hour. Its advantage is that the gas formed may be used for heat output and for heating of the heat exchanger and drier.

By means of the fermentation, feeding small quantities of a suitable precursor compound enables the biomass to be enriched in vitamins derived from the precursor and the product to be utilised as protein, the vitamin content of the fodder being increased at the same time.

The equipment according to the invention is provided with pipes and pumps for the conveyance of the diluted dung water, as well as with fermenters. Furthermore, it is provided with a heat exchanger 6, connected with the fermenter via pipes 12, 14, 1 6, 1 6a suitable for the heating and cooling of the raw diluted dung water. In addition, it is provided with a separator 39 suitable for the separation of the biomass from the ferment juice, besides which at least one fermenter inoculum is formed as a fermenter 27 and it is connected with at least one further fermenter 1 7 connected with a separator 39 through a pipe 34.

The advantageous effects of the invention include the following: The invention achieves the utilization of diluted dung water which causes many problems with regard to environmental protection, as a result of which the contaminating character or pollutant impurity of the diluted dung water is partly eliminated, and partly disease-free, valuable fodder material is obtained which contains protein and is rich in amino acids as well as vitamins.

The invention is described in detail with the aid of the accompanying drawings and the following Examples. The drawings show equipment suitable for realization of the process and illustrate the flow of material.

Fig. 1 shows a schematic side view of a preferred embodiment of the equipment; Fig. 2 illustrates the flow of material in a specific example of the process according to the invention.

The arrows indicating the flow of material as shown in Figure 1 at the pipes connecting the parts of the apparatus and at the inlet and outlet pipes, whereby the technological processes taking place in the equipment can be easily followed.

Pipe 2 is provided for admission of the dung water into a tank 1. The tank 1 is connected with a centrifugal pump 4 via a pipe 3, while the delivery pipe 5 from the pump leads to a heat exchanger shown generally at 6, consisting of a heating unit 7 and a cooling heat exchanger unit 8. A steam pipe 9 is connected into the heat exchanger unit 7. The dung water is fed from the heat axchanger unit 8 via a pipe 10 into the heat exchanger unit 7, from where it is fed into the heat exchanger unit 8 via a pipe 11. The heat exchanger unit 8 is connected with a tank 13 through a dung water pipe 12, to which a centrifugal pump 1 5 is connected with a pipe 14.

The delivery pipe 1 6 of the pump 1 5 leads into a fermenter 1 7. The culture medium mixing tank 19 of the equipment is placed in a shaft 22, into which the nutrient inlet pipe 1 8 is connected. A centrifugal pump 21 is connected to an outlet pipe 20 of the tank 19, the delivery pipe 23 of which enters the fermenter 17, while a pipe branch 23a of the delivery pipe 23 joins the inoculum fermenter 27, to which a further three pipes are connected: a pipe branch 16a of the delivery pipe 1 6, a pipe 52 for admission of the rotted sludge, and a pipe branch 26a of the delivery pipe 26 from the methanol tank 24.The delivery pipe 26 is connected to the centrifugal pump 25, which is connected with the methanol tank 24 via a pipe 24a joining the fermenter 17, while the delivery pipe 30 also joins from the inoculum fermenter 27, starting from the centrifugal pump 29; this centrifugal pump is connected with a pipe 28 from the inoculum fermenter 27. A pipe 53 between the section of the centrifugal pump 1 5 and the pipe branch 16 leaves the pipe 1 6 and joins the tank 19, and thus heat-treated dung water can be fed into this tank.

There are two pipes going out of the fermenter 17: a bio-gas pipe 31 on the top, and a pipe 32 at the bottom, to which a centrifugal pump 33 is attached; this latter one is connected with a pipe 34 to a tank 35. A centrifugal pump 37 is connected to a pipe 36 from the tank 35, the delivery pipe 38 of which joins a separator 39.

Two pipes emerge from the separator: a pipe 40 for removal of the supernatant leading into a duct 41, from which the supernatant may be drained; and a pipe 42 joining a tank 43 allocated for admission of the condensate. A centrifugal pump 45 joins a pipe 44 emerging from the condensate tank 43, the delivery pipe 46 of which joins a spray drier 48, from which a vapour outlet pipe 49 at the top and a product removing pipe 50 emerge.

The tanks 1, 13, 35 and 43 as well as the fermenter 1 7 and the inoculum fermenter 27 are provided with conventional mixers 51.

The equipment includes gate valves or similar dsvices at the necessary places and in the necessary quantity, the illustration of which is omitted for clarity, but their place and purpose is obvious for the specialist.

With the equipment according to Figure 1 , the utilization of raw diluted dung water, derived from a large-scale animal keeping farm, may take place as follows: The diluted dung water fed into the tank 1 through the pipe 2 is carried to the heat exchanger 6 via the delivery pipe 5, with the aid of the centrifugal pump 4; then while passing through the units 7, 8 it is heated to at least 800C, preferably to 95-1050C, and within a short time, e.g. in 10 minutes following the holding time, it is cooled down to a temperature of 40 to 300C.Under the effect of this heat treatment, the organic matter of the diluted dung water will be denatured, and partly recovered, which increases its utilization as a nutrient considerably, and at the same time the living bacterium flora of the dung water will be quantitatively reduced, the reproducibility of the surviving bacterial will weaken and the pathogenic bacteria will perish. All these factors are indispensable conditions of the extensive spread of the inoculated bacteria and the described heat treatment is the earliest means of preventing the spread of contamination before the dung water gets into the fermenter.

The diluted dung water cooled to 40 to 300C is carried from the heat exchanger 6 into the tank 13, then with the centrifugal pump 1 5 via the delivery pipe 16 and pipe branch 1 6a it is pumped into the inoculum fermenter 27. In this case the section of the delivery pipe 1 6 after the pipe branch 16a, leading into the fermenter 17, is closed.

Culture solution is conveyed from the tank 19 with the centrifugal pump 21 through the delivery pipe 23 and its pipe branch 23a into the inoculum fermenter 27, then fresh anaerobe rotted sludge from an urban sewage purification plant through pipe 52 and methanol from the methanol tank 24 through pipe 26 and pipe branch 26a are added into the same fermenter with the centrifugal pump 25. In this case the sections of the pipes 23 and 26 after the pipe branches, leading to the fermenter 17, are naturaliy closed.

The materials admitted into the inoculum fermenter 27 as described above are thoroughly mixed with the mixers 51, and the ferment juice is fermented at 32 to 35"C for several days; further methanol is added to the ferment juice during the process of fermentation.

The ferment juice obtained with above processes can be reinoculated several times in the inoculum tank 27, in such a way that a certain part of the ferment juice, e.g. about 4/5th, is removed and fresh heat-treated diluted dung water, culture solution and methanol are added to the remainder. After the reinoculations, the inoculum, i.e. the inoculant, is available when needed for the continuation of the process.

In the next step a specified quantity of diluted dung water, heat-treated in the heat exchanger 6 as described above is added through the pipe 1 6 into the fermenter 17, (the pipe branch 1 6a is meanwhile ciosed), then culture solution from the tank 1 9 through pipe 23 and inoculant from the inoculum fermentor 27 are added to the same place. The obtained ferment juice is fermented at 32 to 35 or for a specified period, e.g. for several days, and meanwhile methanol is added into the fermenter 1 7 from the methanol tank 24 through the pipe 26.

From this stage semi-continuous fermentation can be carried out with the equipment according to Figure 1 as follows: at the end of the specified fermentation period, when the ferment juice has already acquired the properties necessary for the further processing, a specified part of the fermenters 1 7 content at a specified period, e.g.

10% per day, is pumped with the centrifugal pump 33 via the pipe 34 into the tank 35, and diluted dung water, methanol and culture solution are added corresponding to the removed quantity, similarly day by day, into the fermenter 1 7. The ferment juice from the tank 36 is carried with the centrifugal pump 37 via pipe 38 into the separator 39, where it is separated to supernatant and residue, i.e. biomass. The former is drained through pipe 40 and duct 41, while the biomass is carried with the centrifugal pump 45 via the pipe 46 into the spray drier 48 to be dried; the moisture content passes off through the pipe 49, while the dried material is recovered through the pipe 50.

The invention is described in detail with the aid of Examples in which the denominations and symbols of Figure 1 as described above are used.

Example 1 A diagram of the flow of material in the Example is illustrated in Figure 2. The operations of the processing of diluted dung water with 2100 mg/l ammonium-nitrogen content of biomass is described in the Example, which illustrates the utilization of fermented pig dung water of 100 m3/day.

A) Preparation of the Inoculum 1 50 m3 of diluted pig dung water (Stage A) (dry substance content 1.2%) from the 1 50 m3 tank 1 is carried into the heat exchanger 6, to be heated to 1000C, held at this temperature for 10 minutes, then cooled to 300C (Stage B) and pumped first into the 150 m3 tank, then into the 250 m3 inoculum fermenter 27.Culture medium is mixed in the 25 m3 culture medium mixing tank 1 9 from the following materials: 25 m3 diluted dung water 20 kg magnesium chloride 100 kg beer-yeast 10 kg industrial liver 400 kg malt returns 2 kg cobalt-(ll) chloride 10 m3 of culture medium is pumped into the heat-treated diluted dung water in the inoculum tank 27, then 40 m3 of fresh anaerobe rotted sludge through the pipe 52, and 800 kg of methanol from the 100 m3 methanol tank 24 are added; the sludge arrives from an urban sewage purification plant. The materials carried into the inoculum fermenter 26 as described above are mixed and about 200 m3 of the mixture is fermented at 32 to 350C for seven days. During this period a further 1 600 kg of methanol is added to the inoculum fermenter 27.

On the seventh day of the fermentation, 1 60 m3 of ferment juice is removed from the inoculum fermenter 27 and a fresh 1 50 m3 of heat-treated diluted pig dung water, 10 m3 of culture medium from the tank 19 and 800 kg of methanol from the tank 24 are added to the 40 m3 ferment juice remaining in the fermenter. This is followed by mixing the content of the inoculum fermenter 27, then the mixture is fermented at 32 to 350C for seven days. During this period 2500 kg of methanol 60 are added to the inoculum fermenter 27.

The above (reinoculation) operation is repeated three times in an identical way, while during five weeks a total of 4800 kg methanol is fed into the inoculum fermenter. On the last day of the 5th week the inoculum necessary for the continuation of the process is available.

B) Fermentation a) Enrichment On the last day of the 5th week of inoculum preparation 800 m3 of diluted dung water are heat-treated, as described earlier, in the heat exchanger 6, then it is fed into the 1000 m3 fermenter 17 (Stage C). About 20 m3 of culture medium is prepared in tank 19, containing the following materials: 20 m3 heat treated diluted pig dung water 100 kg magnesium chloride 200 kg beer-yeast (hydrolysate) 200 kg industrial liver 2000 kg malt returns 10 kg cobalt-(ll) chloride Biogas is produced at 64 in a quantity of 1 500 m3/day (7000 cal/Nm3).

Feeding this 20 m3 culture medium and 200 m3 inoculum from the inoculum fermenter 27 into the fermenter 17, they are mixed with the diluted dung water carried in earlier, whereby about 1 000 m3 of mixture, ferment juice, is obtained, to be fermented at 32 to 35"C for seven days.

During this period a total of 24,000 kg methanol is fed into the fermenter 1 7.

b) operating fermentation On the seventh day of the fermentation employed in the above described enrichment process, the fermentation is made to be semicontinuous in such a way that every day the quantity of ferment juice corresponding to 10% (100 m3) of the volume of ferment juice is pumped from the fermenter 17 into the tank 35 for the purpose of further processing (Stage D). In place of the ferment juice removed from the fermenter 1 7, 80 m3 of diluted pig dung water heat-treated as described above is fed, and at the same time similarly heat-treated 10 m3 diluted dung water as well as the following materials are fed into the tank 19.

20 kg beer-yeast (hydrolysate) 200 kg malt-returns 10 kg magnesium chloride and 1 kg cobalt-(ll) chloride The 10 m3 culture medium prepared with the mixture of these materials is pumped likewise into the fermenter 17, and in addition 4GO kg of methanol per day also is added to the semicontinuous fermentation.

Removal of the 100 m3 ferment juice, as well as feeding in of the methanol, culture medium and diluted dung water is repeated daily. This way the semi-continuous fermentation can be maintained for an unlimited period.

The daily 100 m3 ferment juice (dry substance content 2%) stored in the tank 35 is separated in the separator (Stage E), forming 39 to 93.5 m3 of supernatant 61 (dry substance content 0.43%) and 6.5 m3 of residue 62 (biomass, dry substance content 25%). The supernatant is removed from the system through duct 41 and can be used for irrigation, while the biomass is dried in the spray drier 48 (Stage F). 1 500 kg product G of 10% moisture content is obtained to be used for animal feeding or premix preparation, in a quantity of 1 5 t/day (protein content 6570%, water-soluble vitamins 500-1000 mg/kg).

Composition of the product (calculated to dry substance): raw protein 70% vitamin B1 15y/g vitamin B2 130 y/g vitamin B6 20 y/g cobamidcoenzymes 520 y/g nicotinic acid 170 y/g choline 1200 y/g biotine 8y/g vitamin E 250 y/g pantothenic acid 52 y/g St/day of water is removed by evaporation at 63.

Example 2 The procedure is the same as given in Example 1 with the difference that in the course of the inoculum preparation, enrichment and semicontinuous operating fermentation, in addition to the components given in Example 1, 5-hydroxy- benzimidazole precursor is added in the following quantity: inoculum culture medium 1 kg fermentation culture solution 5 kg semi-continuous fermentation culture 1 kg Daily quantity of the obtained product: 1 620 kg Composition: raw protein 75% vitamin B1 20 y/g vitamin B2 110 y/g vitamin B6 45 y/g cobamidcoenzymes 1 500 y/g nicotinamide 145 y/g choline chloride 1450 y/g biotin 5i,/g Example 3 The procedure is the same as given in Example 1, with the difference that the process is carried out with diluted pig dung water of 1500 mg/l ammonium-nitrogen content, and hence sufficient ammonium-hydrogen carbonate and diammonium-hydrogen phosphate are added to the nutritive material both at the inoculum preparation and enrichment as well as at the semi-continuously operating fermentation, for the ammonium-nitrogen content of the diluted pig dung water mixed with nutritive material to be 2000 mg/l.

For the quantities given in Example 1 (1000 m3 fermentation) it amounts to the following ammonium-salt quantities: preparation of inoculum: ammonium-hydrogen carbonate 400 kg diammonium-hydrogen phosphate 1 00 kg enrichment: ammonium-hydrogen carbonate 2000 kg diammonium-hydrogen phosphate 500 kg semi-continuous operating fermentation: ammonium-hydrogen carbonate 200 kg diammonium-hydrogen phosphate 50 kg Example 4 In this Example the processing of diluted pig dung water of 1 500 mg/l ammonium-nitrogen content is described.

A) Preparation of inoculum The following materials are added to 4 lites of diluted pig dung water boiled for 10 minutes, then cooled to 300C: 7.5 g diammonium hydrogen phosphate 2.5 g ammonium sulphate 2.5 g ammonium chloride 5 g disodium hydrogen phosphate 5 g magnesium chloride 1 0g potassium dihydrogen phosphate 5 g baker's yeast hydrolysate To the culture medium prepared as above, 7 ml methanol is added and the mixture is poured into an inoculum-glass fermenter of 10 litres cubic capacity, into which fresh anaerobe rotted sludge derived from the urban sewage purification plant was placed previously. The contents of the inoculum fermenter are mixed, then at a speed of 1.5 vol./min. (fermenter volume/min) air is blown in.It is fermented at 340C for one day, taking care that the pH value of the ferment juice should be between 6 and 6.5, and if necessary the pH value is corrected with 10% aqueous sodium hydroxide.

After fermentation for one day 4 litres of ferment juice is removed from the fermenter, thus 1 litre of inoculum remains.

B) Fermentation a) Enrichment: Culture medium is prepared from 4 litres of heat-treated diluted pig dung water as described above and 7 ml methanol is added. After mixing, it is fermented for 24 hours. During this period a total of 80 g of methanol is fed in to obtain 0.2 to 0.4 volume % methanol concentration for the ferment juice.

b) Operating fermentation From the 24th hour of the third reinoculation the fermentation is made to be continuous in such a way that 0.25 I/h continuous removal and feeding of 0.25 I/h nutritive material (D=0.05 hour) are carried out.

Preparation of the nutritive material: In 1 litre of diluted pig dung water boiled at 1000C for 10 minutes, then cooled to 300C, the following are dissolved: 3.2 g diammonium hydrogen phosphate 1.0 g ammonium sulphate 1.0 g ammonium chloride 5.2 g potassium dihydrogen phosphate 4 g disodium hydrogen phosphate 4 g magnesium chloride 4 g yeast hydrolysate A total of 80 g methanol per day is added to the fermentation in such a way that the methanol concentration of the ferment juice should be 0.2 to 0.4 vol. %. The continuous fermentation is carried out with 1.5 vol/vol/min aeration during mixing at 400 r.p.m. at 340C.

The total dry substance content of the continuously removed ferment juice is 26 g/litre.

100 ml condensate (biomass) of 20% dry substance content and 950 ml supernatant of 0.63% dissolved dry substance content are obtained from 1 litre ferment juice using a centrifuge (8000 r.p.m.).

The biomass is dried. Quantity of the obtained product is 19.5 g powder of 10% moisture content.

Composition of the product related to dry substance content: Raw protein: 65% Vitamins: vitamin B1 5 y/g vitamin B2 170 y/g vitamin Be 15 y/g nicotinamide 175 pig Example 5 The process is the same as described in Example 1, with the difference that, since the pH value of the diluted pig dung water is shifted towards the alkaline range during the heat treatment (pH value=8.2); sufficient concentrated hydrochloric acid is added to the heat treated and cooled diluted pig dung water, while mixing it in tank 13, for its pH value to be 6.6. The diagram of the flow of material pertaining to this Example is shown in Fig. 3. The symbols and quantities are as in Fig. 2 unless otherwise stated.In this case 300 kg concentrated hydrochloric acid solution (added at 65) is required for the pH correction (Stage P) to pH 6.5-6.7. Further on the procedure for preparation of the inoculum and for the fermentation is the same (enrichment and operating fermentation) as described in Example 1. Aluminium sulphate and sodium hydroxide are added at 66 in preparation for separation at Stage Q.

The obtained product is of 10% moisture content, its quantity: 1 600 kg.

Composition of the product (calculated for dry substance): raw protein 71% vitamin B1 18y/g vitamin B2 170 y/g vitamin Bo 25 y/g cobamidcoenzymes 310 y/g nicotinamide 120 y/g choline chloride 1100 y/g biotin 1 y/g vitamin E 185 y/g pantothenic acid 32 y/g Example 6 The process is the same as described in Example 5, with the difference that the 100 m3 ferment juice removed per day is treated for facilitating the separation as follows: Aluminium sulphate (Al2(SO4)3) containing 400 kg crystal water is dissolved in 2 m3 water in the tank 19, then while mixing the solution is pumped into the 100 m3 ferment juice in the tank 35. This is followed by adding 300 litres of sodium hydroxide solution of 30 weight % to the ferment juice, the pH value of which is 6.3, is conducted to the separator 35.

Quantity of the obtained product per day: 1 710 kg (with 10% moisture content).

Composition of the product (calculated for dry substance): raw protein 62% vitamin B1 8.5y/g vitamin B2 75.0 y/g vitamin B, 15.0y/g cobamidcoenzymes 400.0 y/g nicotinamide 1 50.0 y/g choline chloride 875.0 y/g biotin 5.0 y/g

Claims

1. A process for the utilization of raw diluted dung water (Gulle), in which: a) the diluted dung water is heat-treated by heating it to at least 800C, then cooling it to 40 to 300C; b) a precursor culture medium is prepared from the heat-treated diluted dung water, biomaterial(s) and/or at least one nitrogencontaining inorganic salt and/or at least one water-soluble vitamin or precursor thereof; c) an alcohol of 1 to 3 carbon atoms, as well as rotted sludge containing organic impurity, derived mainly in the course of urban sewage treatment, and optionally heat-treated dilutcd dung water, are added to the culture medium and by fermentation of the mixture, inoculum is produced;; d) inoculum, as well as an alcohol of 1 to 3 carbon atoms, and optionally culture medium, are mixed with the heat-treated diluted dung water, and the mixture is fermented at a temperature of 26 to 380C; and e) a biomass is separated from the ferment juice derived in the course of fermentation.

2. A process as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the starting material is diluted pig dung water.

3. A process as claimed in Claim 1 or 2, wherein the diluted dung water is heated to 95 to 1050C.

4. A process as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 3, wherein the C1-C3 alcohol is methanol.

5. A process as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein, if the pH value of the heat-treated dung water exceeds about 7, then the pH value is adjusted with acid to 6 to 7.

6. A process as claimed in Claim 5, wherein the pH is adjusted with hydrochloric acid solution to 6.5 to 6.8.

7. A process as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the nitrogen-containing inorganic salt is used for preparation of the culture medium only when the ammoniumnitrogen content of the dung water is below about 2000 mg/l.

8. A process as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein prior to separation of the biomass, coagulant is added to the ferment juice, and ammonium hydroxide "in statu nascendi" is separated in the ferment juice.

9. A process as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein with the repeated addition of alcohol of 1 to 3 carbon atoms used in the course of fermentation for the preparation of inoculum, as well as with culture medium, the bacterium flora is enriched.

10. A process as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the methanol level of the fermentation(s) is kept between 0.04 and 0.8%.

11. A process as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein ammonium hydrogen carbonate and/or ammonium hydrogen phosphate are used as the nitrogen-containing inorganic salt.

12. A process as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein benzimidazole derivatives is used as a precursor of water-soluble vitamins.

13. A process as claimed in Claim 12, wherein the derivative is 5-hydroxy-benzimidazole.

14. A process as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the fermentation process(es) is/are carried out by an anaerobic method.

1 5. A process as claimed in claim 14, wherein the alcohol of 1 to 3 carbon atoms, as well as culture medium, are fed into the fermenter at a rate of 0.002 to 0.01 litre fermenter/hour.

1 6. A process as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the fermentation process(es) is/are carried out aerobically.

17. A process as claimed in claim 16, wherein the alcohol of 1 to 3 carbon atoms, and culture medium, are fed into the fermenter at the rate of 0.05 to 0.5 litres fermenter/hour.

18. A process as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 17, wherein the diluted dung water during the process of heat treatment is kept at a minimum 800C, preferably at 95 to 1050C, temperature for at least 5 minutes.

19. A process as claimed in Claim 1, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to any of the Examples and/or the accompanying drawings.

20. Apparatus for the utilization of raw diluted dung water (Gulle), especially for diluted pig dung water, provided with a pipe system and pumps for the conveyance of the diluted dung water as well as with fermenters, which is provided with a heat exchanger suitable for heating and cooling of the raw diluted dung water, connected with the fermenters through pipes which is provided with a separator suitable for separation of the biomass, and in which at least one fermenter is formed as an inoculum fermenter and is connected with at least one further fermenter via a pipe joined with the separater through another pipe.

21. Apparatus as claimed in claim 20, wherein the heat exchanger contains at least two heat exchanger units, one of which is constructed as a cooling heat exchanger unit, and the other one as a heating heat exchanger unit.

22. Apparatus as claimed in claim 20 or 21, wherein it is provided with a tank, preferably containing a mixer device, arranged before the heat exchanger and connected with pipes including the centrifugal pump.

23. Apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 20 to 22, wherein it is provided with a tank for preparation of the culture medium, into which the pipe branch, going out of the diluted dung water pipe, which connects the heat exchanger with the fermenters as well as the nutritive material inlet pipe are discharged and which is connected with the fermenters through the pipes preferably containing the centrifugal pump.

24. Apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 20 to 23, wherein the mixer device is built into the tank of the culture medium and/or into the fermenters.

25. Apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 20 to 24, wherein it is provided with a methanol tank connected with the fermenters through pipes preferably containing the centrifuqal pump.

26. Apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 20 to 25, wherein the tank is built into the pipe connecting the fermenter and separator, preferably containing the mixer device, before and after which the centrifugal pumps are incorporated into the pipe system.

27. Apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 20 to 26, wherein the sludge inlet pipe or a similar device ends at the inoculum fermenter.

28. Apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 20 to 27, which is provided with a biomass drying device, preferably a spray drier, connected after the separator.

29. Apparatus as claimed in claim 20, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.