JP2000232892A - Disposition of waste substance from a golf course - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an environmentally excellent method for inexpensively and hygienically disposing the plant waste from a golf course. SOLUTION: The waste from a golf course is used as a raw material for producing hydrogen and/or methane, the recovered hydrogen and/or methane is fed to a power plant to generate electric power, which is supplied to the facility of the golf course. Further, the remaining liquid component and/or the solid component are utilized as a compost or fertilizer for lawn and/or trees and/or flowers in the golf course. According to the present invention, hydrogen and/or methane can be produced by using the waste from a golf course, further the recovered hydrogen and/or methane is utilized to generate electric power via a generating device, for example, a fuel cell, a gas heat pump, a gas engine or the like and the electric power can be utilized as electric power for the facilities in the golf course. The liquid component and/or the solid component can be used as a fertilizer for flowers and ornamental plants.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method for treating golf course waste such as cut grass, weeds and the like and / or garbage and the like generated in golf courses. The present invention relates to a method for producing and recovering methane and using it for power generation, and a method for effectively using remaining liquid components and / or solid components as fertilizer in golf course facilities.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a golf course, lawn mowing is frequently carried out for maintenance of greens and fairways, and a large amount of plant waste such as cut grass and weeds is generated every day. Conventionally,
These wastes were left on course and left to decay and decompose naturally, or incinerated. Waste such as garbage, juice marc, coffee marc, and tea grounds is partially composted by a garbage disposal system, but most of it is collected by a garbage collector or waste disposal company. I got it.

[0003]

However, it takes a long time to completely decompose waste such as cut grass and weeds at a golf course by natural decay, and there is a problem that odor is generated when the decay proceeds. there were. On the other hand, cut grass, weeds, and the like have a high moisture content, and therefore, when incinerated, must be dried to some extent before incineration. Furthermore, since green turf contains a large amount of sand, there is a problem in that the incinerator is damaged by the sand contained when dried and incinerated. In addition, waste such as garbage generated in a cafeteria or the like must be collected by a trader, which poses problems in terms of cost, environment, and sanitation.

[0004]

According to the present invention, as a result of various studies to solve the above-mentioned problems in a golf course, a method and an apparatus for producing hydrogen previously filed by the present applicant (Japanese Patent Application No. Hei 10
No. 84273 and No. 10-227159), both of vegetable waste and waste such as garbage generated at golf courses (hereinafter referred to as "golf course waste") are inexpensive, sanitary, Moreover, it has been found that the treatment can be carried out by a method which is particularly excellent in environment.

[0005] That is, the present invention is a method for treating golf course waste characterized by using the golf course waste as a raw material for hydrogen production, and in particular, adding water to or not adding water to the golf course waste. A method for treating golf course waste, comprising producing hydrogen by storing it in a container, sealing the container, and maintaining the container under dark or light conditions. Further, the present invention is a method for treating golf course waste, wherein the waste of golf course is used as a raw material for producing methane. In particular, the pH of the solution after producing hydrogen as described above is neutralized. Alternatively, it is a method for treating golf course waste, which comprises producing methane by making it alkaline.

The present invention further provides a method for recovering hydrogen and / or methane produced from golf course waste.
A method for treating golf course waste, comprising supplying electricity to a power generator and supplying electricity to golf course facilities. Furthermore, the present invention is characterized in that a liquid component and / or a solid component remaining after producing hydrogen and / or methane from a golf course waste as a raw material is used as a fertilizer for turf and / or flowers in a golf course. This is a method for treating golf course waste.

[0007]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION The apparatus that can be used in the method for treating golf course waste of the present invention may be any apparatus that can produce hydrogen and / or methane using golf course waste as a raw material. There is no particular limitation. However, the method and apparatus for producing hydrogen from harvested plants invented by the inventors of the present invention as a raw material has simple processes and can be carried out at low cost. Because of its superiority, it will be described below in particular along one embodiment used in the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 1, the apparatus which can be used in the present invention has a volume capable of accommodating golf course waste, and is provided with an outlet for generated gas and an outlet for liquid components and / or solid components. Waste treatment reactor, a separation device for separating hydrogen and / or methane from the generated gas, and a power generation device for generating power based on the separated hydrogen and / or methane. The size and shape of the waste treatment reactor are not limited, and the waste treatment reactor is capable of accommodating golf course waste and not contacting the outside air.
Alternatively, any material may be used as long as it has a solid component outlet.

[0009] The waste that can be put into the waste treatment reactor is cut grass on greens and fairways, grasses from surrounding forests, general garbage, garbage from canteens, and the like.
By containing these in a reactor with or without adding water and keeping them in contact with the outside air, hydrogen or methane is mainly produced as a gas component, and hydrogen or methane is separated from the produced gas The separated hydrogen and methane are supplied to a fuel cell, gas heat pump, or gas engine to generate electricity, which is then used to charge an electric cart or power the facility. Further, the liquid component and / or the solid component generated from the waste treatment reactor are supplied to the growth of plants (turf and flowers) in the golf course.

When the golf course waste contains many fresh plants such as cut grass and weeds, these fresh plants contain many nutrients necessary for culturing microorganisms and many substrates necessary for hydrogen fermentation. Therefore, hydrogen can be produced at low cost without using a medium. Furthermore, it has been found from the study of the present inventors that almost all plants have attached or symbiotic microorganisms capable of producing hydrogen, and hydrogen can be produced by using plants as they are. . Examples of microorganisms having the ability to produce hydrogen that are attached or symbiotic include microorganisms belonging to the genus Clostridium, microorganisms belonging to the genus Bacillus, microorganisms belonging to the genus Enterobacter, microorganisms belonging to the genus Citrobacter,
Examples include photosynthetic bacteria. Further, other indigenous microorganisms capable of decomposing plants or organic wastes such as organic acids and carbohydrates to the extent that the microorganisms can assimilate, for example, microorganisms belonging to the genus Clostridium, microorganisms belonging to the genus Pseudomonas, rumen bacteria , Microorganisms belonging to actinomycetes, filamentous fungi belonging to the genus Penicillium, and fungi belonging to the genus Mold.

The reactor may be supplemented with soil along with the golf course waste. As the soil to be added, microorganisms having a hydrogen-producing ability, for example, microorganisms belonging to the genus Clostridium, microorganisms belonging to the genus Bacillus, microorganisms belonging to the genus Enterobacter, microorganisms belonging to the genus Citrobacter, soil containing photosynthetic bacteria, or Microorganisms that can decompose plants or organic acids and carbohydrates to an extent that the microorganisms can assimilate, such as microorganisms belonging to the genus Clostridium, microorganisms belonging to the genus Pseudomonas, microorganisms belonging to the rumen bacteria, microorganisms belonging to the actinomycetes, genus Penicillium And soil containing fungi belonging to the genus Fungi and the like. And the amount of soil used is
It is 0.01 to 100 parts for 100 parts of the plant used. By adding soil, the induction period until the start of hydrogen generation can be shortened. Here, when water is added, the mixing ratio between the golf course waste and water is 1: 0.1 to 1: 1000 by weight. Water includes distilled water, tap water, river water, domestic wastewater,
Seawater or the like can be used.

A compound that inhibits plant oxygen production (hereinafter referred to as an inhibitor) can be added to the waste treatment reactor. Examples of the inhibitor include a viologen derivative such as methyl viologen, chloroplatinic acid, nickel ion, iron ion, cobalt ion, zinc ion, chromium ion, ruthenium ion, disalicylidenepropanediamine, polylysine, antimycin A and the like. No. The amount of the inhibitor used is 0.001-1 part based on 100 parts of the waste used. By adding these inhibitors, it is possible to suppress the production of oxygen due to photosynthesis of plants under light conditions, and consequently to shorten the induction period until the start of hydrogen production, and to oxidize the produced hydrogen by oxygen. , And as a result, the total amount of hydrogen generation can be improved. Further, as a method of inhibiting oxygen production of plants, methods such as mercury treatment, hexane extraction, Tris treatment, and alkali treatment are also effective.

[0013] Organic acids and / or saccharides can be added to the waste treatment reactor in order to increase the amount of hydrogen generated. Organic acids include, but are not limited to, gluconic acid, citric acid, succinic acid, phthalic acid, fumaric acid, lactic acid, pyruvic acid, malic acid, malonic acid, acetic acid, propionic acid, and the like. In particular, when gluconic acid is added, the amount of hydrogen generation is greatly improved. Examples of the saccharide to be added include arabinose, xylose, ribose, rhamnose, galactose, fructose, glucose, cellobiose, sorbose, mannose, lactose, sucrose, maltose, trehalose, melibiose, starch, insulin, inositol, mannitol, sorbitol, and cellulose. ,
Examples include, but are not limited to, glucan peptides, and include juices to be treated as waste.

The waste treatment reactor can be subjected to light or dark conditions and alternating light and dark cycle conditions. The light condition may be either natural light or artificial light such as fluorescent light, and the maintenance period under the dark condition or the light condition is 5 to 80 ° C. and 1 to 480 hours in the batch method. The condition for performing the light condition intermittently is to repeat the light condition and the dark condition every 1 to 12 hours. With the bright conditions, the induction period until the start of hydrogen generation can be shortened, and the total amount of hydrogen generation can be improved. The anaerobic condition is to replace the gas phase of the container with a mechanism that does not come into contact with the outside air with argon gas, nitrogen gas, helium gas, carbon dioxide gas, etc.
It can be set by deoxygenation. Oxygenation of generated hydrogen by oxygen is suppressed by deoxygenation, and as a result, the total amount of hydrogen generation can be improved.

The waste of the golf course may be subjected to a heat treatment or a low-temperature treatment before entering the reactor.
The heating and the low-temperature treatment include leaving in a temperature environment of -80 ° C to 160 ° C for 0.1 to 24 hours. As a result, the photosynthetic function of the plant is lost, so that oxygen generation does not proceed under light conditions. As a result, the oxidation reaction of generated hydrogen by oxygen is suppressed, and as a result, the total amount of hydrogen generation can be improved. Hydrogen production may be performed by any method of standing or stirring. The temperature in the waste treatment reactor is preferably 5 to 80 ° C., but is not limited thereto.

The waste treatment reactor is operated using any of a batch system, a semi-batch system, and a continuous system. It is desirable to select an appropriate method each time according to the type of golf course waste and the type of organic acid and / or saccharide to be added. In the case of semi-batch type or continuous type, it is necessary to remove the decomposed solids of golf course waste,
Depending on the type of golf course waste, solids are separated into those that settle and those that float, and those that settle should be removed from the bottom of the reactor, and those that float should be removed from the top of the reactor. . According to the experimental results of the present inventors, it is known that plants often float before the start of hydrogen fermentation and precipitate in many cases when hydrogen fermentation proceeds and the collected plants are decomposed. That is,
Harvested plants that can still be used for hydrogen fermentation float, and the residues of harvested plants that are almost completely decomposed and can no longer be used for hydrogen fermentation often precipitate, and in semi-batch or continuous fermentation methods, harvested plants are collected from the bottom of the reactor. It is particularly good to remove solid matter.

Green turf contains a lot of sand, but it has been found that when mixed with water, the sand separates from the turf and settles at the bottom of the reactor. Therefore, only the sand can be recovered from the lower part of the processing apparatus. The present invention, as described above, is to react in a sealable container,
It has been found that the amount of hydrogen generated increases when the internal pressure in the container is kept high. The internal pressure increases due to the gas generated even in a sealed state of the container.However, as a method of increasing the internal pressure of the container, there is a method of injecting a gas such as carbon dioxide, argon, helium and the like from the outside, and particularly, It is not limited.

According to the present invention, hydrogen is first produced from golf course waste as described above, and then methane can be produced by making the pH of the subsequent liquid neutral or alkaline. . The liquid after hydrogen production is
Various organic substances such as microorganisms and nutrients are dissolved or dispersed in addition to the collected plant residue, and the pH thereof is about 4 to
6. The following alkalis are appropriately used for this, and
By adjusting to 2, preferably 7 to 9, methane can be produced further. Examples of the compound for adjusting the pH include metal hydroxides such as sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, and lithium hydroxide, and alkalis such as sodium carbonate and ammonia, but are not limited thereto. pH
Methods for adjusting are well known in the art.

Microorganisms that produce methane include the genus Methanobacterium, Methanococcus, Methanosarcina, Methanobrevobacter, Methanomicromium,
Examples include microorganisms of the genus Methanogenium, Methanospyrilum, and Methanosylic. These microorganisms may be appropriately added to the liquid after hydrogen production.However, like microorganisms capable of producing hydrogen, these microorganisms adhere to or coexist with almost all plants. Can be manufactured. For the production of methane, any method of standing or stirring may be used. The temperature of the container at this time is preferably 5 to 80 ° C., but is not limited thereto. Also, the time for methane production is 1-200
0 hours is preferred, but not limited to this.
Except for the conditions mentioned here, the conditions for producing methane may be the same as the conditions for producing hydrogen.

The gas generated by this treatment method includes carbon dioxide and other trace gases in addition to hydrogen and methane, and these can be easily separated in a separation device. First, the generated gas is washed with water and passed through a porous material such as activated carbon or zeolite, whereby trace gases other than hydrogen, methane, and carbon dioxide are almost completely removed. The separated hydrogen is captured by using a hydrogen storage alloy or a hydrogen separation membrane, and the carbon dioxide is captured by using a carbon dioxide absorbing liquid or solid mainly composed of an alkaline substance, or by using a carbon dioxide separation membrane. , Hydrogen, methane and carbon dioxide respectively. However, the method for separating hydrogen, methane, and carbon dioxide is not limited to these methods.

The separated and recovered hydrogen and / or methane are supplied to a power generation device such as a fuel cell, a gas heat pump, or a gas engine to generate power. The fuel cell may be any of an alkaline fuel cell, a polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell, a phosphoric acid fuel cell, a molten carbonate fuel cell, and a solid electrolyte fuel cell. However, the power generation method using the separated and recovered hydrogen and / or methane as a raw material is not limited to this. The separated and collected liquid components and / or solid components are supplied to grass and / or flowers of a golf course that grows by performing photosynthesis and used as fertilizer.

The liquid components remaining after the production of hydrogen and / or methane are mainly organic acids, and the solid components are decomposed products of plants. Organic acids mainly include lactic acid, acetic acid, butyric acid,
High in pyruvate. Some organic acids can serve as nutrients for living organisms such as plants as they are, or may be further decomposed by fungi or microorganisms present in soil before becoming nutrients for plants or the like. In addition to the organic acids, the liquid components also include phosphorus compounds such as phosphoric acid, nitrogen compounds such as nitrates and ammonium salts, and sulfur compounds such as sulfates.These compounds are nutrient sources for living organisms such as plants, That is, it becomes fertilizer. If the liquid component contains too much organic acid, dilute it and use it as a fertilizer, or reduce the amount of organic acid by further treating the liquid component with activated sludge.
Phosphorus compounds such as organic acids and phosphoric acids, nitrogen compounds such as nitrates and ammonium salts, and sulfur compounds such as sulfates may be used as fertilizers.

The decomposed products of plants are mainly cellulose and starch having a high degree of polymerization, which are hardly decomposed. Cellulose and starch do not become fertilizers for plants or the like as they are, but after being further decomposed by fungi or microorganisms existing in the soil, they become nutrient sources, that is, fertilizers.

[0024]

The present invention will be described below in more detail with reference to examples. However, the present invention is not limited to these examples. Note that the amount of generated gas is represented by a volume at normal temperature and normal pressure. [Reference Example 1] 20 g of rice varieties were collected, and
1,000 ml of distilled water was put into a 1,200 ml glass container, a tube was connected from the outlet of the glass container, and the generated gas was recovered at atmospheric pressure. In 69 hours, 73 ml of hydrogen was produced from this reaction system.

REFERENCE EXAMPLE 2 20 g of rice varieties were collected, placed in a glass container having a capacity of 1,200 ml together with 1,000 ml of distilled water, and sealed with a pressure valve which opened when a pressure of 1 atm was applied. From this reaction system, 97 hours of hydrogen
ml was produced. As is clear from Reference Examples 1 and 2, it was confirmed that when the internal pressure of the container was kept high, the amount of generated hydrogen increased. Therefore, in the following, hydrogen production was carried out with the container sealed.

[Example 1] A bent green of a golf course,
Collect turf for 3 holes and add water to waste treatment reactor
After sealing with L, the gas phase was replaced with argon gas and made anaerobic, and then maintained under light conditions for 10 days, the pH of the remaining liquid was adjusted to 7.5 with sodium hydroxide, and the same conditions were maintained except for pH. After a further 50 days, a gas containing methane as a main component was generated. This gas was first washed with water by water replacement to remove most of the odorous fine gas. Next, gases other than methane, hydrogen, and carbon dioxide were adsorbed and removed by passing through a pipe filled with activated carbon. By passing the separated methane, hydrogen, and carbon dioxide through a low-temperature alkaline aqueous solution in which sodium hydroxide is dissolved, carbon dioxide is dissolved, and 1,440 L of high-purity methane is dissolved.
And 4.5 L of hydrogen. Of these, methane was supplied to a fuel cell to generate power, and two batteries (voltage 12 V, 5-hour rate capacity 50 Ah) for one electromagnetic induction golf cart were charged. Sand collected at the bottom of the waste treatment reactor was recovered, air-dried, and returned to the green sand. Further, the remaining liquid and solid components were used as fertilizer for flower beds. The solid component contains a large amount of inorganic salts such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, and the growth of flowers has improved.

Example 2 Golf Course Vent Turf 2,000g
Was collected and sealed in a waste treatment reactor together with 10 L of water, and the gas phase was replaced with argon gas to make it anaerobic, and the mixture was kept under light conditions for 10 days. As a result, a gas containing hydrogen gas could be recovered. The recovered gas was washed with water by water displacement, and passed through an aqueous alkaline solution in which sodium hydroxide was dissolved to remove trace gas components and carbon dioxide, thereby obtaining 10.6 L of hydrogen. As a result of generating the hydrogen using a polymer electrolyte fuel cell, an electric power of 3.2 Wh was obtained.

Example 3 Green and fairways of a golf course, rough cut grass and weeds were collected and placed in a waste treatment reactor under the same conditions as in Example 2 for 10 days. A gas as a main component has been generated. This gas is first washed by water displacement,
Most of the odorous gas was removed. Next, gases other than hydrogen and carbon dioxide were adsorbed and removed by passing through a pipe filled with activated carbon. By passing the separated hydrogen and carbon dioxide through a low-temperature alkaline aqueous solution in which sodium hydroxide is dissolved, carbon dioxide is dissolved, and high-purity hydrogen 23.8
m ³ was recovered. When this hydrogen was generated using a polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell, an electric energy of 47.6 kWh was obtained, which could partially cover the electric power of the golf course facilities. The sand collected at the bottom of the waste treatment reactor was recovered, air-dried, and returned to the green sand. Further, the remaining liquid and solid components were used as fertilizer for flower beds. In particular, various organic acids were abundantly contained in the liquid component, and the amount of phosphorus absorbed and the chlorophyll content of the flower increased, and the growth of the flower improved.

[0029]

According to the present invention, it is possible to produce and recover hydrogen and / or methane from green grass, fairway and rough grass, and garbage, which are wastes of golf courses. Then, power can be generated by a power generation device such as a fuel cell, a gas heat pump, or a gas engine and used as power for golf course facilities. Further, the liquid component and / or the solid component after the treatment can be used as a fertilizer for flowers and plants. Therefore, the present invention is a highly useful technology that can contribute to solving two major problems of waste disposal and energy production in one closed society such as a golf course.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a flow diagram of the method of the present invention outlining the production of hydrogen and / or methane from golf course waste, power generation, and utilization of liquid and / or solid components as fertilizer.

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification code FI Theme coat ゛ (Reference) C12P 5/02 B09B 3/00 ZABC F-term (Reference) 4B064 AA03 AB03 AD04 AD06 AD33 AD52 CA02 CA03 CA05 CC03 CC12 CD01 CD24 DA11 DA16 4D004 AA02 AA03 BA03 BA04 BA06 CA12 CA18 CA22 CA32 CA35 CC03 CC07 CC15 CC20 4H061 AA02 CC41 CC55 EE02 EE66 FF01 FF06 GG29 GG50 KK05 KK07

Claims (8)

[Claims] 1. A method for treating golf course waste, comprising using golf course waste as a raw material for hydrogen production. 2. A method for producing hydrogen by containing a golf course waste with or without water in a container, sealing, and maintaining the dark or light condition.
Golf course waste treatment method. 3. The method according to claim 2, wherein hydrogen is produced under anaerobic conditions. 4. A method for treating golf course waste, comprising using golf course waste as a raw material for methane production. 5. A golf course waste containing or not containing water, contained in a container, sealed, and maintained under a dark or light condition to adjust the pH of the solution after producing hydrogen. A method for treating golf course waste, comprising producing methane by making it alkaline or alkaline. 6. The method according to claim 5, wherein methane is produced under anaerobic conditions. 7. A golf course, comprising recovering hydrogen and / or methane produced from golf course waste as a raw material, supplying the hydrogen and / or methane to a power generator, and supplying power to golf course facilities. Waste treatment method. 8. A golf characterized in that a liquid component and / or a solid component remaining after producing hydrogen and / or methane from a golf course waste as a raw material is used as fertilizer for turf and / or flowers in the golf course. Waste treatment method.