JP2002330644A - Forest biomass collection/utilization system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a forest biomass collection/utilization system enabling forest biomass such as trees to be carried out of the forest and utilized at slight cost/labor and in a way of suppressing nature destruction to a minimum, also enabling even residues having been left to stand in the forest so far such as twigs/branches and thinnings to be utilized, and applicable to forest biomass accumulated in small-scale groves as well. SOLUTION: This system includes biomass crushing equipment each having a forest biomass crusher and a crushed chip issue port, a pneumatic conveying pipeline laid from the inside of the forest over the outer rim or the outside of the forest, having a plurality of inflow ports inside the forest and discharge ports at the outer rim of or outside the forest, and connective pipes connecting the above issue ports and the above inflow ports to each other. This system works as follows: forest biomass crushed chips discharged through the discharge ports are fed into a biomass conversion unit where they are converted into thermal energy, combustible gas, liquid fuel, charcoal or compost by at least either one means among pyrolysis, gasification and fermentation.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a system for collecting and utilizing forest biomass such as trees accumulated in a forest, and more particularly, to crushing forest biomass such as trees accumulated in a forest and then removing air from the forest. It relates to a system for collecting and utilizing forest biomass transported by transportation.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, forest biomass, such as trees, which grow and accumulate in a forest, is pruned to remove branches in the forest, cut into appropriate lengths, and cut into logs. It is carried out of the forest by trucks or other vehicles and collected at a collection location, and if necessary, transported to a processing plant where it is used as lumber, pulp chips, or plywood. Was normal.

[0003] In such a conventional technique, however, it is necessary to construct a forest road through which vehicles such as trucks for transporting log materials pass in the forest. There is a problem that labor and cost are required, and natural destruction such as cutting down trees over a wide area and excavating topsoil is involved. In particular, when trying to carry out large quantities of logs at once in order to carry out logs efficiently,
The size of the vehicles for export and the width of the forest roads need to be increased accordingly. However, the labor and cost required for the construction of the forest roads will increase, and the accompanying natural destruction will become large.

[0004] In the prior art, as the construction of the forest road progresses deeper into the forest, the labor and cost for transporting the sediment generated from the construction to the outside of the forest increase. For this reason, when constructing a forest road deep into the forest, the construction surplus soil is often left in the forest, and in addition to the above-mentioned tree cutting and natural destruction by excavating the topsoil, secondary Cause natural destruction. Alternatively, to avoid such problems,
Forest road construction may be stopped relatively close to the outer edge of the forest, in which case the inner forest biomass remains unused.

Further, in the conventional technology, it is practically impossible to construct a forest road like a mesh in the forest due to the above-mentioned problems associated with the construction of the forest road. Is usually covered by a single forest road. However, in this case, in order to efficiently transport the cut trees and the like to the forest road, clear cutting is often performed to cut a wide range of trees in the forest at once. The ground becomes loose and the risk of landslides increases,
After clear-cutting, there is a problem that the multi-functionality of the forest, such as recharging of water sources and purification of air, cannot be restored until sufficient forest biomass such as trees is accumulated.

In the prior art, it is efficient to load only logs having a uniform shape and dimensions on a transport vehicle such as a truck or a forwarder. Except for the fact that the wood is used as a chip material, the remaining offcuts and the branches removed at the time of pruning were usually left in the forest as forest land residues and were not used.

On the other hand, in order to maintain a forest, especially an artificial forest, healthy, thinning and thinning (hereinafter, abbreviated as thinning),
In addition, it is necessary to appropriately perform operations such as pruning.
However, as for the branches removed by pruning, as well as the branches removed at the time of pruning, it is not only the remaining forest land, but also the thinned wood and thinned wood (hereinafter, abbreviated as thinned wood). It is becoming more difficult to use it effectively in technology. Because
Although thinned timber is often non-uniform in both shape and size, conventional techniques require that the shape and size of logs be as uniform as possible in order to efficiently transport timber out of the forest. This is because, therefore, it is not possible to efficiently carry out the thinned wood having non-uniform shapes and dimensions outside the forest. For this reason, even if thinning is performed, much of the thinned wood is often left in the forest as forest residue and is not used. Furthermore, as a result, costs for operations such as thinning and pruning cannot be recovered, so that these operations themselves for maintaining a healthy forest cannot be performed properly in the first place. Thus, there is a problem that the forest is degraded by the conventional technique alone, and the mountainous area depending on the forestry is exhausted.

[0008] Further, in the conventional technology, in view of the circumstances described above, trees of various tree types and ages are growing, and therefore small-scale trees such as satoyama that are not suitable for producing log materials having a uniform shape and size. Not suitable for forest land. As a result, forest biomass accumulated in those small-scale forests has been left unused without being used only by conventional techniques.

[0009]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention solves the above-mentioned problems of the prior art and reduces forest biomass such as trees at a low cost and labor and in a manner that minimizes natural destruction. An object of the present invention is to provide a system for collecting and utilizing forest biomass that can be carried out and used outside. In addition, forests that have been left in the forest as forest residue, such as branches and thinned wood, can be effectively used, and can also be applied to forest biomass accumulated in small forests such as satoyama. It is an object to provide a system for collecting and utilizing biomass.

[0010]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a biomass crushing apparatus provided with a crusher for crushing forest biomass and a discharge port for discharging crushed pieces, and a method for crushing forest biomass from the inside of the forest to the outer edge of the forest. Or laid over the outside of the forest, having a plurality of inlets inside the forest, a pneumatic transport pipeline having an outlet at the outer edge of the forest or outside the forest, a discharge port of the biomass crusher and the pneumatic transport pipeline There is provided a system for collecting and utilizing forest biomass, comprising a connection pipe for connecting to an inflow port. Further, in the present invention, the biomass crushing device is provided with a pushing blower for supplying air for transporting the crushed pieces of forest biomass, so that the crushed pieces of forest biomass flow through the connection pipe through the connecting pipe. It is possible to make sure that it flows into the entrance. Further, in the present invention, on the outlet side of the pneumatic transportation pipeline,
By providing a suction blower for sucking air for transporting crushed pieces of forest biomass, the forest biomass can be efficiently carried out from the interior of the forest to the outer edge of the forest or the outer edge of the forest and collected. On the other hand, in the present invention, the crushed pieces of forest biomass discharged from the outlet of the pneumatic transportation pipeline are burned, thermally decomposed, gasified or fermented by at least one of thermal energy and combustible gas. By providing a biomass conversion device for converting to liquid fuel, charcoal or compost, it is possible to effectively use forest biomass. Further, in the present invention, by providing a crushed piece separation device for separating crushed pieces of forest biomass discharged from an outlet of the pneumatic transportation pipeline, the conversion unsuitable material is removed from the crushed pieces, and then the biomass is removed. By supplying the biomass to a converter or a biomass converter according to the type of crushed pieces, conversion to thermal energy, combustible gas, liquid fuel, charcoal or compost can be performed efficiently. Still further, in the present invention, the solid material generated by the biomass conversion device and / or the conversion unsuitable material removed by the crushed piece separation device are input to the outer periphery of the forest or the outside of the forest of the pneumatic transportation pipeline. By providing a mouth and further providing a means for supplying air for transporting the produced solid matter and / or unconvertible matter into the forest, a possibility that may occur when the system for collecting and utilizing forest biomass of the present invention is applied. It is possible to avoid soil degradation in forests with vegetation.

[0011]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a biomass crushing apparatus provided with a crusher for crushing forest biomass and a discharge port for discharging crushed pieces, laid from the inside of the forest to the outer edge of the forest or outside the forest, and installed inside the forest. A plurality of inlets, a pneumatic transportation pipeline having an outlet at the outer edge of the forest or outside the forest, a connection pipe connecting the outlet of the biomass crushing device and the inflow of the pneumatic transportation pipeline. This is a system for collecting and using forest biomass. In the system for collecting and utilizing forest biomass of the present invention,
The forest biomass such as trees accumulated in the forest is crushed into crushed pieces such as chips by a crusher such as a chipper or a shredder provided in the biomass crushing device and discharged from a discharge port. The discharge port is connected to an inlet of a pipeline for pneumatic transportation laid from the inside of the forest to the outer edge of the forest or the outside of the forest by a connecting pipe, and the crushed pieces pass through the pipeline and pass through the outer edge of the forest. Or they are transported outside the forest and are discharged together with air from the outlet of the pneumatic transportation pipeline.

The forest biomass can be cut into appropriate dimensions in advance by a chain saw or the like, if necessary, and then fed into the crusher of the biomass crusher. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent the crusher from being unnecessarily increased in size, and as a result, it is possible to easily carry the biomass crusher provided with the crusher into the forest. In particular, trees, which are typical forest biomass, are subjected to processing such as pruning and ball cutting, and if necessary, bark (bark) is peeled off before being supplied to the crusher. it can. Components that are removed during such pretreatment and contain a large amount of nitrogen and minerals such as leaves and bark (hereinafter referred to as high nutritional components) are separated from woody components such as logs and twigs. Leaving in the forest can prevent nutrients from being lost from the soil in the forest.

The pneumatic transportation pipeline can be fixed to a tree in a forest or provided with a simple stand on the ground in the forest.
By connecting a plurality of pipes fixed to the gantry, it can be laid from the inside of the forest to the outer edge of the forest or the outside of the forest. For this reason, unlike a conventional technique for constructing a forest road, natural destruction such as cutting down trees and excavating topsoil in a wide area is not involved, and labor and cost required for laying can be reduced. Therefore, since the pneumatic transportation pipeline can be laid relatively easily to the inner part of the forest and like a mesh, it is necessary to carry out the forest biomass as in the conventional technology. It can solve problems such as secondary destruction of the forest caused by the construction of forest roads, unused forest biomass in the inner part of the forest, and harmful clear cutting. .

The pipes constituting the pipeline are as follows:
A steel pipe, a cast iron pipe, a concrete pipe, an aluminum pipe, or a synthetic resin pipe such as an FRP pipe and a PVC pipe can be used. In particular, it is desirable to use a light-weight synthetic resin pipe when it is laborious to transport the pipe, such as when laying a pipeline for pneumatic transport to the inner part of the forest.
In addition, a flexible pipe (flexible pipe) such as a bellows pipe (bellows) can be used as appropriate according to the topography of the laying place, and the flexible pipe is made of steel, rubber, synthetic resin, cloth, or the like. Can be used in combination.

[0015] The pneumatic transportation pipeline can have power cables laid along it. The power cable supplies the power generated by the power generation device provided at the outer edge or outside of the forest to the forest, and conversely, the power generated by the power generation device provided within the forest to the outer edge or outside of the forest. Can be used for feeding. In particular, when a power generation device is provided in a forest, the power generation device may be a small hydropower generation device, a wind power generation device, or a solar power generation device, if necessary, in combination with a power storage device. Renewable energy existing in the fossil fuel can be utilized, and not only can valuable fossil fuel be saved, but also the generation of carbon dioxide due to the burning of fossil fuel can be suppressed. On the other hand, a communication cable can be laid along the air transportation pipeline. The communication cable is used to transmit weather conditions in a forest, operation states of components such as a biomass pulverizing device constituting a system for collecting and using forest biomass of the present invention, and the like to the outer edge of the forest or outside the forest. be able to. When laying a power cable and / or a communication cable along a pipeline for air transportation, it is preferable to lay the power cable and / or the communication cable at the same time as laying the pipeline. Alternatively, the communication cable can be manufactured in advance as a part of a pipe constituting a pipeline.

The biomass crushing device is provided for each of a plurality of inlets provided in the pneumatic transportation pipeline, and a discharge port of the biomass crushing device and an inflow inlet of the pneumatic transportation pipeline are connected by a fixed connection pipe. It is also possible to connect, but by making the biomass crushing device self-propelled or portable and making the connection pipe detachable, the forest biomass accumulated in a wide area in the forest with a small number of biomass crushing devices It becomes possible to collect. In particular,
The self-propelled or portable biomass crushing device is first stopped near one inlet of a pneumatic transportation pipeline to collect the forest biomass near the inlet. Then, after the collection work at that location is completed, the connection pipe is removed, the biomass crushing device is moved to another vicinity of the inlet of the pneumatic transportation pipeline, and the connection pipe is attached to the inlet again. , And collect nearby forest biomass. By employing such a collecting method, forest biomass accumulated in a wide area in the forest can be collected by a small number of biomass crushing devices. In order to easily attach and detach the connecting pipe, it is desirable that the connecting pipe be a flexible pipe.

When the biomass crushing apparatus is a stationary type or a non-self-propelled portable type, trees felled in the forest or the like are transported as they are or after pruning, and then transported to the vicinity of the biomass crushing apparatus using a tractor or a tower yarder. Then, after processing such as pruning and ball cutting, it can be supplied to the biomass crushing device. On the other hand, when the biomass crushing device is a self-propelled type, the biomass crushing device moves while crushing the forest biomass accumulated in the forest, so that it is possible to collect in a form in which the transport process by a tractor or the like is omitted. . In particular, this method is suitable when the forest biomass to be collected is relatively small, such as thinned wood, forest residue, bamboo, and bamboo grass, and does not require pretreatment for supply to the biomass conversion device. is there.

When the biomass conversion device is portable, it can be mounted on a trailer and transported by a towing vehicle. When the biomass conversion device is of a self-propelled type, it can be driven by a motor or a motor, and the crawler type or the wheel type can be used around its legs. When a self-propelled biomass conversion device is employed, it is preferable that the connection pipe be a rollable flexible pipe or a telescopic pipe made of synthetic resin, rubber, cloth, or the like.

The system for collecting and utilizing forest biomass of the present invention can be used in combination with conventional techniques. In other words, if the forest roads have already been developed and the felled trees have grown sufficiently and it is sufficiently economical to collect them as logs using conventional techniques, the logs will be replaced by conventional techniques. On the other hand, it is possible to collect and use only the thinned thinned wood and the remaining forest land that are left in the forest without being efficiently collected by the conventional technology using the forest biomass collection and utilization system of the present invention. It is possible. In the conventional technology, when thinning materials, branches, and offcuts are left in the logging place, as in the case of full-trunk logging where the timber is harvested after pruning at the logging place, As in the case of whole-tree harvested wood that is harvested and pruned on the forest roadside, there may be cases where thinned timber, branches and cuttings are accumulated on the ground. Among them, in the former case, it is preferable that the biomass crushing device be a small self-propelled type, and that a connecting pipe connecting the discharge port of the biomass crushing device and the inflow port of the pneumatic transportation pipeline be a telescopic tube. . On the other hand, in the latter case, particularly when the accumulation amount of forest biomass at a certain accumulation site is large, an inlet for the pneumatic transportation pipeline is provided near the accumulation site, and the air inlet is provided near the accumulation site. It is preferable to provide a stationary or non-self-propelled portable biomass crushing device.

As is clear from the above description, the system for collecting and utilizing forest biomass according to the present invention is different from the conventional technology, and is sufficiently grown to be able to be processed into logs having a uniform shape and dimensions. Was not effectively applied to conventional trees because it was not only applied effectively to isolated trees, nor was it applied only to forests where trees were growing extensively and homogeneously. The present invention can also be applied to the collection and use of forest biomass accumulated in small-scale forest land such as thinned wood and satoyama. In addition, the forest biomass collection / utilization system of the present invention can also be applied to biomass such as inflow trees that flow into existing dams or the like and adversely affect their functions by appropriately laying pneumatic transportation pipelines. Can be applied. Thus, by applying the system for collecting and utilizing forest biomass of the present invention, if necessary, in combination with conventional techniques, a tired mountainous area can be activated or left unused. You can use small forests such as satoyama. In particular, in the case of satoyama broad-leaved forests, after installing a biomass conversion device as described below at the outer edge or outside of the forests, the growing tree species can be selected from those with low accumulation rates of forest biomass, such as acacia, poplar, birch, and willow. By converting to fast-growing trees, etc., and stably collecting forest biomass, it can be used as a small-scale distributed regional energy supply base.

The biomass crushing apparatus includes a discharge port, an inlet, and a connection connecting them so that crushed pieces of forest biomass crushed by the crusher fall to the inlet of the pneumatic transportation pipeline by its own weight. The positional relationship of the pipes can be selected, and a cutting machine such as a rotary valve and / or a conveying machine such as a screw conveyor can be provided to assist the positional relationship. Alternatively, after selecting a crushing machine of a form in which the crushing rotating body rotates, by providing a fan blade in the crushing rotating body, and the like,
As the rotator for rotation rotates, air for transporting the crushed pieces crushed by the crusher is also supplied, and the crushed pieces can be discharged from the discharge port together with the air. However, when the amount of crushing by the biomass crushing device is large, or the connecting pipe connecting the discharge port and the inlet of the pneumatic transportation pipeline is long, or the connecting pipe is a flexible pipe or a telescopic pipe. When the pressure loss in the connection pipe is large, there is a concern that the above method cannot reliably supply the crushed pieces of the forest biomass to the inlet.

For this reason, in one form of the system for collecting and utilizing forest biomass of the present invention, the biomass crushing apparatus is provided with a pushing blower for supplying air for transporting the crushed pieces of forest biomass. The blower for pushing,
By properly selecting the air supply / pressurization capacity, even if the amount of forest biomass crushed is large or the pressure loss at the connecting pipe is large, the mixture of crushed pieces and air can be reliably pushed into the air transportation pipeline. be able to.

The crusher and the blower provided in the biomass crusher can be driven by a motor or a motor. In the case of driving by an electric motor, a portable power generator such as a diesel generator may be mounted on or associated with the biomass crusher, or power may be supplied from a generator installed inside or outside the forest. When a power generator is installed inside the forest, the power generator may be a small hydro power generator, a wind power generator, or a solar power generator, if necessary, in combination with a power storage device. Renewable energy existing in forests can be used. When a crusher or a pushing blower provided in the biomass crusher is driven by an electric motor, power can be supplied from the power generator through a power cable laid along the pneumatic transportation pipeline. Also, the power cable can be extended along the connection pipe, in which case, the power cable is manufactured in advance as a part of the connection pipe, and the connection pipe is connected to the pneumatic transportation pipeline. When connecting to the inlet, the power cable of the connecting pipe can also be connected to the power cable of the pipeline for air transport.

For the crushed pieces of forest biomass crushed by a crusher such as a chipper or a shredder provided in the biomass crushing apparatus, a sufficiently large air supply / pressurizing capacity of a pushing blower provided in the biomass crushing apparatus is selected. In this case, the air can be exhausted together with the air from the outlet of the pneumatic transportation pipeline at the outer edge of the forest or outside the forest simply by pushing the air from the pushing blower. However, when the pipeline for air transport is laid extensively inside the forest and the distance from the inlet to the outlet of the pipeline for air transport becomes longer, the air supply and boosting capacity required for the blower for push-in increases significantly. The weight and the like of the blower also become excessive, and it becomes impractical especially when the biomass crushing device is a self-propelled type or a portable type. Also, when multiple biomass crushers operate simultaneously inside the forest, and a mixture of crushed pieces of forest biomass and air flows in from multiple inlets of the pneumatic transportation pipeline, the mixture interferes with each other. As a result, the air is not discharged stably from the outlet of the pneumatic transportation pipeline.

Therefore, in one embodiment of the forest biomass collection / utilization system of the present invention, a suction blower for sucking air for transporting the crushed pieces of forest biomass is provided on the discharge port side of the pneumatic transportation pipeline. It was taken. This eliminates the necessity of providing the biomass conversion device with an unnecessarily large blower for blowing, and by appropriately selecting the air supply / pressurization capacity of the suction blower, a plurality of inlets of the pneumatic transportation pipeline can be used for forests. Even when a mixture of biomass fragments and air flows in, it can be stably discharged from the outlet of the pneumatic transportation pipeline.

A crushed piece collecting device such as an inertial collecting device such as a cyclone or a filter type collecting device such as a bag filter is provided between the suction blower and the discharge port, thereby discharging the crushed pieces from the discharge port. The crushed pieces can be effectively separated from the mixture of the crushed pieces and the air thus obtained. As will be described in detail later, the crushed piece collecting device can provide a crushed piece sorting function by using a multi-stage cyclone or a combination of a cyclone and a bag filter. Further, when the pneumatic transportation pipeline is long, the crushed piece collecting device can be installed in a plurality of stages. That is, a crushed piece intermediate collecting device is provided at a position between the discharge port and the inflow port of the pneumatic transportation pipeline, and crushed pieces of forest biomass are once collected by the crushed piece intermediate collecting device. At that time, an intermediate blower different from the suction blower provided on the discharge port side can be provided in addition to the crushed piece intermediate collecting device. The intermediate blower can be used as a suction blower for sucking air for transporting debris of forest biomass, or a pusher for pushing air for transporting debris of forest biomass downstream of the air transportation pipeline. It can be used as a blower for
Furthermore, by providing the necessary switching damper,
Both can also be used. When the intermediate blower is a push-in blower, it is possible to provide only a crushed piece collecting device on the discharge port side of the pneumatic transportation pipeline and not to provide a suction blower.

The suction blower and the intermediate blower may be driven by a motor or a motor. In the case of driving with an electric motor, as in the case of driving a crusher or a pushing blower of the biomass crushing apparatus, in a forest, a small hydroelectric power generator, a wind power generator or a solar power generator is installed,
To the suction blower and the intermediate blower, the power generated by the power generator can be supplied and driven through a power cable laid along the pneumatic transport pipeline, if necessary, via a power storage device. it can.

The operation of the suction blower is such that the suction blower is started and stopped in accordance with the start and stop of the pushing blower provided in the biomass crushing apparatus, and only the air supplied from the pushing blower is used. In parallel ventilation system to suck, or in the pipeline for pneumatic transport, provided with an air intake other than the inlet connected by the connection pipe and the discharge port provided in the biomass crushing device, and to start and stop the blower for pushing It is possible to use an independent ventilation system that starts and stops the suction blower independently and suctions air continuously or intermittently. However, when a plurality of biomass crushers are operated at the same time and a mixture of crushed pieces and air flows simultaneously from a plurality of inlets of a pneumatic transportation pipeline, an independent ventilation system is preferable. In order to save money, it is desirable to operate the suction blower intermittently.

When the above-mentioned crushed piece intermediate collecting device is installed,
The suction blower may be an intermittent independent ventilation system. That is, after the crushed pieces of forest biomass supplied from the plurality of inlets of the pneumatic transportation pipeline are accumulated in the crushed piece intermediate collection device, the accumulated crushed pieces are activated by activating the suction blower. Are transported at one time to the outlet of the pneumatic transportation pipeline, and are collected by the crushed piece collecting device. Alternatively, in order to operate the suction blower in an intermittent independent ventilation system, the cross-sectional area of at least a part of the pneumatic transportation pipeline is
An area (hereinafter, referred to as an enlarged area) is selected such that the flow velocity of the air when the air supplied from the pushing blower provided in the biomass crushing device is smaller than the sedimentation speed of the crushed pieces of the forest biomass. After that, the air supply / pressurization capacity of the suction blower may be selected so that the flow rate of the air sucked by the suction blower is larger than the sedimentation speed of the debris of the forest biomass even at the enlarged portion. . When the cross-sectional area of at least a part of the pneumatic transportation pipeline is selected in this way, the fragments of the forest biomass along with the air supplied from the pushing blower settle down at the enlarged area, Deposits on the bottom of If you start the suction blower in that state,
The crushed pieces of forest biomass deposited on the bottom of the pipe are wound up by the sucked air, transported together with the air to the outlet of the pneumatic transportation pipeline, and collected by the crushed piece collecting device. In addition, the cross-sectional area of the pipeline for pneumatic transportation may be all expanded areas,
Alternatively, only the area near the inflow port may be an enlarged area, and the other area may be smaller.

When the suction blower is operated in the parallel ventilation system, a communication cable is laid along the pneumatic transportation pipeline and / or the connection pipe, and the communication cable is used for the biomass conversion device. A signal indicating the start / stop state of the pushing blower is transmitted, and the suction blower can be automatically started / stopped based on the signal. Also, when the suction blower is operated by the intermittent independent ventilation method as described above, a communication cable is laid along the pipeline for air transport, and the communication cable is used to connect the inside of the pipe and / or the middle of the crushed piece. A signal indicating the state of accumulation of forest biomass in the collection device is transmitted, and the suction blower can be automatically started and stopped based on the signal. Further, in any case of employing any of the operation methods, the suction blower may be provided with a control damper, a fluid coupling or an inverter or the like so as to adjust the pressure in the pneumatic transportation pipeline within an appropriate range. . At that time, a means for detecting pressure at a necessary portion of the pipeline for pneumatic transportation and / or before or after the crushed piece collecting device can be provided, and a signal detected by the pressure detecting means can be provided by air. It can be communicated using a communication cable laid along the transport pipeline.

Since the suction blower is of a portable type, it can be used while being moved to the outlets of a plurality of pneumatic transportation pipelines. In this way, even if the collection of forest biomass within the range covered by a certain pneumatic transportation pipeline is completed and the collection of forest biomass within the range covered by the next pneumatic transportation pipeline is performed, the suction blower can be used. It can be used effectively without pausing for a long time.

In the system for collecting and utilizing forest biomass of the present invention, the forest biomass such as trees is crushed by the biomass crushing device provided inside the forest. From the outlet of the pneumatic transportation pipeline, it is discharged as crushed pieces such as chips. Of the forest biomass collected in this way, wood chips can be used as pulp chips. However, in order to use it as pulp chips, impurities other than wood chips must be almost completely removed. Depending on the use of pulp chips, it is necessary to select tree species such as softwood and hardwood. For this reason, before the forest biomass is crushed by the biomass crusher inside the forest, or after being discharged as crushed pieces from the outlet of the pneumatic transportation pipeline, the woody material and other materials are strictly separated. There must be. Furthermore, even if high-purity wood chips that can be used as pulp chips are obtained, they must be transported to a paper mill in order to actually use them, and pulp chips are being collected because the recovery of waste paper is progressing. The demand for the equipment itself tends to decrease. Therefore, the system for collecting and utilizing forest biomass of the present invention is applied to trees of various tree species that grow on small-scale forests such as satoyama, wood residue, or forest biomass with many components other than woody materials such as bamboo and bamboo grass. In addition, when applied to forests where there is no paper mill nearby, it is desirable to use the debris of forest biomass for uses other than pulp chips.

In consideration of such circumstances, in one form of the forest biomass collection and utilization system of the present invention, at least one of combustion, thermal decomposition, gasification, and fermentation of crushed pieces of forest biomass is performed. A biomass conversion device for converting heat energy, flammable gas, liquid fuel, charcoal or compost into heat energy, flammable gas, liquid fuel, charcoal or compost. , Liquid fuel, charcoal or compost. In such a biomass conversion apparatus, it is possible to convert wood chips or other forest biomass into heat energy, combustible gas, liquid fuel, charcoal or compost almost without distinction. In addition, these biomass converters are generally characterized in that higher conversion efficiency is obtained when biomass is crushed, but forest biomass is already released at the stage of being discharged from the outlet of the pneumatic transportation pipeline. It is a crushed piece and is convenient. Furthermore, thermal energy, combustible gas, liquid fuel, charcoal or compost are widely available irrespective of specific location conditions, and if their use can reduce the consumption of fossil fuels in the future, In addition to saving valuable fossil fuels that are expected to be depleted, there is an advantage that the emission of carbon dioxide, which causes global warming, can be suppressed. In particular, when applied to small-scale forest land such as satoyama, small-scale decentralized regional energy supply bases are supplied by supplying thermal energy, combustible gas, liquid fuel, charcoal or compost generated by the biomass converter to the neighborhood. Can be used as

When a combustion device is used as a biomass conversion device, heat generated during combustion can be recovered by a boiler and used as hot water or steam, and the generated steam can be used to turn a turbine to generate power. can do.
When the crushed pieces of forest biomass are fed into the combustion device, they can be supplied as they are, or can be fed after being processed into pellets by compressing the crushed pieces. As a combustion device, a dedicated device for forest biomass crushed fragments can be provided, but it is also possible to co-firing forest biomass crushed fragments with fossil fuels using the existing combustion device for fossil fuel combustion. is there. Even in that case, the consumption of fossil fuel required to obtain the heat energy required so far can be suppressed,
In addition, emission of carbon dioxide, which causes global warming, can be suppressed.

In general, forest biomass has a high water content, and when burned while being discharged from the outlet of the pneumatic transportation pipeline, energy is used to evaporate the water. There is a problem that the conversion efficiency to heat energy is low. In order to avoid this problem, debris of forest biomass can be dried beforehand and put into a combustion device. Drying of forest biomass can be realized by providing a heating device 1 for heating crushed pieces of forest biomass discharged from an outlet of a pneumatic transportation pipeline, and a heat source of the heating device 1 is generated from a combustion device. By using waste heat having a relatively low temperature and a small utility value among the heat energy, the overall energy efficiency can be increased. Further, for drying forest biomass, a heating device 2 is provided at an air intake of the pneumatic transportation pipeline.
It is also realized by transporting crushed pieces of forest biomass while stirring them with warm air heated by the method.
As a heat source of the heating device 2, renewable energy existing in the forest existing in the forest can be used. Furthermore, as a method of avoiding the problem that energy is used to evaporate water contained in forest biomass and conversion efficiency to thermal energy is reduced, an exhaust gas containing water vapor generated when burning debris of forest biomass is burned. Can be exchanged with a condensing type indirect heat exchanger to condense water vapor, thereby recovering and using heat energy consumed for evaporating water.

When a pyrolysis apparatus is used as a biomass conversion apparatus, crushed pieces of forest biomass are heated to several hundred degrees Celsius to several hundreds degrees Celsius in a state where the amount of oxygen is suppressed, and pyrolysis (dry distillation) is performed. , Hydrogen and / or methane, etc., and carbonized gas and coal, or carbonized gas, tar and coal. Generally, the thermal decomposition of biomass is an endothermic process, so it is necessary to apply heat from the outside. As part of the heat, the heat held by the carbonized gas can be recovered and used. In the case of thermal decomposition, especially when the thermal decomposition temperature is low, there is a problem that energy supplied from the outside is consumed for evaporating water contained in the crushed pieces of forest biomass and conversion efficiency is low. In order to avoid this, as in the case of combustion, the debris of the forest biomass is dried, or the carbonized gas containing water vapor is exchanged with a condensing type indirect heat exchanger to condense the water vapor. The thermal energy consumed for evaporation can be recovered and used.

When a gasifier is used as the biomass converter, water is added to the crushed pieces of forest biomass, if necessary, and then the amount of oxygen is supplied more than during carbonization and less than during combustion. A tar oxidation and a water gasification reaction in contact with high-temperature steam at a temperature of several hundreds to several hundreds of degrees Celsius, or a tar gas and a char can be converted into gas by the thermal decomposition apparatus. In a gasifier using a partial oxidation reaction, by appropriately selecting the amount of water to be added, the amount of oxygen to be supplied, and the holding temperature, the ratio of hydrogen to carbon monoxide can be set to 2: 1. Can synthesize methanol by the following reaction. 2H ₂ + CO → CH ₃ OH Since the partial oxidation reaction is usually an exothermic reaction, it can be maintained at the above-mentioned temperature by the heat of oxidation of forest biomass. When it is necessary to add the heat, the heat held by the generated gas can be recovered and used as a part of the heat.

On the other hand, when a fermentation device is used as the biomass conversion device, a fermentation gas such as methane and / or a liquid fuel such as methanol or ethanol can be obtained. Alternatively, compost can be obtained by supplying crushed pieces of high nutrient components such as bark and leaves to a fermentation apparatus.

The gas obtained from the biomass converter is flammable except for the gas generated from the fermenter for producing compost, and is introduced into the combustion device in the high temperature state at the time of generation or after cooling. As in the case of combustion, it is converted to thermal energy, or, if necessary, is cooled to remove tar components and then drives the gas engine. Can also be supplied. Alternatively, a liquid fuel can be synthesized such that methanol is synthesized from a mixed gas of hydrogen and carbon monoxide. On the other hand, the liquid fuel directly obtained from the biomass conversion device and the liquid fuel synthesized from the gas can also be burned and converted into thermal energy, or driven by a motor, or converted into gas,
In particular, when converted to hydrogen gas, it can be supplied to a fuel cell. When the liquid fuel is methanol, it can be used as a fuel for a motor driven vehicle or as a raw material for hydrogen as a fuel for a fuel cell vehicle. Further, the gas and / or liquid fuel thus obtained can be co-fired with other fuels such as fossil fuels. In particular, when a gas obtained by pyrolysis or gasification is co-fired with a nitrogen-containing fuel such as coal, there is an effect of suppressing the generation of nitrogen oxides generated at a high concentration with the nitrogen-containing fuel alone.

When power is generated using the thermal energy, flammable gas, liquid fuel or charcoal generated by the biomass converter, the generated power can be used as a driving power source for the suction blower. Further, the electric power is sent into the forest by a power cable laid along the pipeline for pneumatic transportation, and is used as a power source for driving a crusher or a pushing blower of the biomass crushing device, or In the case of a self-propelled type, it can be used as a power source for driving self-propelled means.

On the other hand, charcoal generated by a pyrolysis unit (carbonization unit) can also be used as fuel. However, in the forest biomass collection and utilization system of the present invention,
Since the crushed pieces of forest biomass are supplied to the pyrolysis unit, the coal obtained there is powdered coal, which absorbs and removes harmful substances such as dioxin from the exhaust gas from garbage, and removes water. It can be used to remove harmful substances such as trihalomethane in treatment facilities. In addition, it can be sprayed on soil and used as a soil conditioner, and can also be used as a humidifier under the floor of a house. The carbon constituting the coal obtained from the pyrolysis device (carbonization device) of the forest biomass collection and utilization system of the present invention is originally obtained by fixing carbon dioxide in the air to trees and the like in the forest. If it is stored for a long time in a form that is not oxidized even if it is not used for a specific application, carbon dioxide in the atmosphere will be reduced, and therefore, it is possible to contribute to prevention of global warming due to carbon dioxide.

The biomass conversion apparatus described above includes woody biomass such as waste generated during sawmilling, such as pruned trees, building waste, or wood chips, other than forest biomass discharged from the outlet of the pneumatic transportation pipeline. Furthermore, biomass such as agricultural product waste can be input together. In general, forest operations have a seasonal cycle, and the amount of collected forest biomass varies greatly according to the seasonal cycle. By accepting biomass, the operation rate of the biomass conversion device throughout the year can be leveled. However, at this time, if waste other than biomass, especially plus chips, etc. is mixed, harmful components may be mixed into exhaust gas, combustion ash, fermentation residue, etc. generated by combustion. It is preferable to put in.

In general, biomass has a conversion means suitable for its type. For example, in the case of biomass of tree origin, high nutrient components such as bark and leaves are suitable for composting by fermentation, but when burned, pyrolyzed or gasified, exhaust gas or flammable generated Since the gas may contain a nitrogen oxide or a chlorine compound, it is not so preferable. In addition, when soil is attached when supplying forest biomass to the biomass conversion device, there is a possibility that the biomass conversion device may accompany the crushed pieces supplied to the biomass conversion device. Will decrease the conversion efficiency.

Therefore, in one form of the forest biomass collection and utilization system of the present invention, the crushed pieces of forest biomass discharged from the outlet of the pneumatic transportation pipeline are separated before being supplied to the biomass conversion device. And a crushed piece sorting apparatus for performing the method. The crushed piece crushing apparatus can operate the biomass conversion apparatus more efficiently by performing the minimum necessary fractionation on the crushed pieces of forest biomass to remove unsuitable substances for conversion. Specifically, if high nutrient components such as bark and leaves, and inorganic components attached to crushed pieces are removed, it is included in exhaust gas generated during combustion, and in combustible gas generated by thermal decomposition and gasification. The amount of nitrogen oxides and chlorine compounds can be suppressed, and the amount of by-products such as combustion ash and fermentation residue can be reduced. Further, the purity of the charcoal can be increased. on the other hand,
The removed bark and leaves can be composted by a biomass conversion device using fermentation.

The above-mentioned fractionation of the crushed pieces of forest biomass is as follows.
Since it is not necessary to perform strictly as in the case of using the crushed pieces as pulp chips, the crushed piece sorting apparatus can use inertial classification by wind power. At this time, it is possible to temporarily store the crushed pieces discharged from the discharge port of the pneumatic transportation pipeline, and then perform separation using inertial classification by wind power, but the suction blower and the discharge port of the discharge port can be used. It is also possible to impart a crushed piece sorting function to the crushed piece collection device provided therebetween. More specifically, the crushed piece collecting device is a multi-stage cyclone or a classifying dust collecting device combining a cyclone and a bag filter, and crushed pieces (wood chips) of only relatively heavy woody components are collected in the cyclone in the preceding stage, A relatively light bark or leaf fragment or a bark or leaf adhering to the woody component is collected by a subsequent cyclone or bag filter.

In the system for collecting and utilizing forest biomass of the present invention, the biomass accumulated in the forest can be efficiently carried out of the forest, but as a result, the soil in the forest deteriorates. is there. As described above, this can be prevented by leaving the forest biomass in the forest without supplying it to the crusher except for high nutrient components such as bark and leaves before supplying the forest biomass to the crusher. However, it is desirable to reduce the work in the forest as much as possible, and it is preferable not to perform the work that requires a large machine such as peeling of a tree if possible. Also,
It is difficult to remove such high nutrients sufficiently in the forest.

Therefore, in one form of the forest biomass collection / utilization system of the present invention, the pneumatic transportation pipeline is provided at the outer edge of the forest or outside the forest, with the solids produced by the biomass conversion device and / or The input port into which the unconverted material removed by the crushed piece sorting apparatus is charged is provided with a means for supplying air for transporting the produced solid matter and / or the unconverted material into the forest. According to this, by causing the transport air to flow in the direction opposite to the direction in which the crushed pieces of forest biomass are collected in the pneumatic transport pipeline, the product solids input from the input port and / or the conversion unsuitable. Items can be returned to the forest. In particular,
As the biomass conversion device, a combustion device, a pyrolysis device,
Alternatively, when a gasifier is selected, all or a part of powder or granules such as combustion ash or pulverized coal produced as by-products can be reduced to soil in the forest. Further, when a fermentation apparatus is selected, all or a part of the produced fermentation slag or compost can be reduced to soil in the forest, and when a crushed piece separation apparatus is provided, the crushed piece separation is performed. All or part of the sediment transported together with the high nutrient components such as bark and leaves separated by the apparatus and the crushed pieces can be reduced to the soil in the forest.

For the transport air, a return blower is installed, and an inlet provided inside the forest of the pneumatic transport pipeline is used to discharge a product solid and / or a mixture of unsuitable substances and air. By diverting as an outlet, debris of forest biomass can be flowed in the opposite direction to the direction in which it is collected. At this time, the suction blower can also be used as the return blower. Specifically, an air suction port of the suction blower is provided separately from a discharge port of the air transport pipeline, and further, the air transport pipeline is provided with an air discharge port of the suction blower, What is necessary is just to provide the required switching damper.

It is usually desirable to return soil nutrients and the like to the interior of the forest at the time of planting from planting performed in early spring to planting.
In the same place, main cutting and thinning are not performed, and therefore, debris of forest biomass is not carried out, so returning soil nutrients etc. to the inside of the forest is an effective use of the air transport pipeline and suction blower. . The return to the interior of the forest using such a pipeline for air transportation is not limited to the solids produced by the biomass converter and / or unsuitable substances removed by the crushed fraction separator. Alternatively, soil improvement materials or the like having an origin may be returned.

[0050]

1 is a flow chart showing an example of a system for collecting and utilizing forest biomass according to the present invention. Forest biomass, such as thinned wood cut down inside the forest, offcuts and twigs generated in operations such as pruning and cutting, are supplied to the biomass crushing device 1 introduced into the forest. The biomass crushing apparatus 1 is a self-propelled type equipped with a crawler 12, and includes a chipper and a pushing blower (not shown). The forest biomass supplied to the biomass crushing device 1 is crushed by the chipper and discharged from the discharge port 11 together with the air supplied by the pushing blower. The discharge port 11 is connected to one end of a connection pipe 3 formed of a flexible pipe, and the other end of the connection pipe 3 is connected to an inlet 21 of the pneumatic transportation pipeline 2. Pneumatic pipeline 2
Are laid from the inside of the forest to the outside of the forest by interconnecting the synthetic resin pipes fixed to the trees in the forest. In addition, the pipeline 2 for pneumatic transportation has a plurality of inlets inside the forest including the inlet 21 connected to the connection pipe 3, and when the biomass crushing apparatus 1 moves inside the forest, The connection pipe 3 is connected to an inflow port 21 ′ different from the currently connected inflow port 21. In addition, when the inflow port 21 ′ is not connected to the connection pipe 3, it is normally closed by the closing plate 23. The crushed pieces discharged together with air from the discharge port 11 are conveyed through the connection pipe 3 and the pneumatic transportation pipeline 2 and discharged from a discharge port 22 provided outside the forest. The discharge port 22 is connected to the debris collection device 6, and the debris of the forest biomass is separated from the air by the debris collection device 6 and collected. On the other hand, the air is released into the atmosphere after being pressurized by a suction blower. The crushed pieces of forest biomass once collected are supplied to a biomass conversion device 5 which is a methanol production device, and are reacted with water supplied as necessary to be converted into methanol.

FIG. 2 shows the collection and collection of the forest biomass of the present invention.
It is a flow process diagram which shows another example of a utilization system, and especially it is a flow process diagram explaining after the forest biomass was collected. The crushed pieces of forest biomass collected by the crushed piece collection device 6 are separated into a woody component composed of wood chips and a high nutrient component containing a large amount of nitrogen and minerals such as bark and leaves by a crushed piece separation device 7. . Among them, the woody component is supplied to a biomass conversion device 5 which is a methanol production device, and is reacted with water supplied as necessary to be converted into methanol. On the other hand, the high nutrient components are supplied to a biomass conversion device 5 'which is a composting device, converted into compost, and supplied from the input port 24 to a pneumatic transportation pipeline. The pipeline for pneumatic transportation has an air inlet 25, and the outlet of the return blower 8 is connected to the air inlet 25. The compost supplied from the input port 24 is conveyed into the forest by the air supplied from the return blower 8, and is returned to the forest through the connection pipe 3 from the inlet 21 of the crushed pieces of the forest biomass.

FIG. 3 shows the collection and loading of the forest biomass of the present invention.
It is a flow process diagram which shows another example of a utilization system, and especially it is a flow process diagram explaining after the forest biomass was collected. The crushed pieces of forest biomass collected by the crushed piece collection device 6 are separated by the crushed piece separation device 7 into combustible components such as wood chips and incombustible components such as earth and sand adhering to the crushed pieces of forest biomass. . Among these, the non-combustible component is supplied to the pipeline for pneumatic transportation from the input port 24 '. The combustible components are supplied to a biomass conversion device 5 ″ that is a boiler device and burned. From the biomass conversion device 5 ″, steam and combustion ash and further exhaust gas not shown are generated.
From 4 ″, it is supplied to the pipeline for air transportation. On the other hand, the steam is supplied to the turbine generator 51 to generate electric power. This electric power is supplied to the pneumatic transportation pipeline 2
It is supplied into the forest by a power cable 26 laid along and is used as a drive source for a crusher and a pushing blower provided in a biomass conversion device (not shown). The pipeline for pneumatic transportation has an air inlet 25, and the outlet of the return blower 8 is connected to the air inlet 25, and the non-combustible component supplied from the inlet 24 'and the inlet 24'. The combustion ash supplied from ′ is transported into the forest by the air supplied from the return blower 8 and returned to the forest through the connection pipe 3 from the inlet 21 of the crushed pieces of forest biomass.

[0053]

According to the present invention, crushing and accumulating forest biomass that grows and accumulates in the forest and transports the forest biomass to the outer edge of the forest or to the outside of the forest by pneumatic transportation requires a great deal of labor and cost for the construction. It is possible to efficiently collect forest biomass without needing and constructing forest roads with destruction of nature. In addition, thinned wood, wood residue, bamboo or bamboo grass,
Alternatively, forest biomass that has been rarely used in the past, such as forest biomass that grows and accumulates in small-scale forests such as satoyama, can be effectively used. Furthermore, by converting and using the collected forest biomass with a biomass conversion device, valuable fossil fuels can be saved, and global warming due to carbon dioxide generated when burning fossil fuels can be suppressed. .

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a flowchart showing a method of implementing a system for collecting and utilizing forest biomass.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating a method of implementing a system for collecting and utilizing forest biomass, and particularly a flowchart illustrating a process after the forest biomass is collected.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating a method of implementing the system for collecting and utilizing forest biomass, and particularly a flowchart illustrating a process after the forest biomass is collected.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Biomass crushing apparatus 2 Pneumatic transportation pipeline 3 Connection pipe 4 Suction blower 5, 5 'Biomass conversion apparatus 6 Fragment collecting device 7 Fragment separating apparatus 8 Returning blower 11 Discharge port 21, 21' Inlet 22 Flow Outlet 23 Closure plate 24, 24 ', 24' 'Input port 25 Air inlet 26 Power cable

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification symbol FI Theme coat ゛ (Reference) B09B 3/00 ZAB F23G 5/027 Z 4D067 5/00 5/033 A B27L 11/00 7/10 F23G 5 / 027 A01C 3/02 5/033 B09B 3/00 ZABZ 7/10 A // A01C 3/02 303J 5/00 Z F term (reference) 2B052 AA03 BB05 2B241 DA01 DA39 DA40 DB01 DB30 3K061 AA24 AB02 AC17 FA05 FA10 FA23 3K065 AA24 AB01 AB02 AC17 CA02 4D004 AA12 AC07 BA03 BA04 BA06 CA04 CA08 CA17 CA24 CA27 CA28 CB13 CB47 4D067 EE11 GA11 GA20

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A biomass crusher comprising a crusher for crushing forest biomass and a discharge port for discharging crushed pieces, laid from the inside of the forest to the outer periphery of the forest or outside the forest,
A pneumatic transportation pipeline having a plurality of inlets inside the forest and having an outlet at the outer edge of the forest or outside the forest, a connection connecting an outlet of the biomass crushing device and an inlet of the pneumatic transportation pipeline. A system for collecting and utilizing forest biomass, comprising a pipe. 2. The system for collecting and utilizing forest biomass according to claim 1, wherein said biomass crushing apparatus includes a pushing blower for supplying air for transporting the crushed pieces of forest biomass. 3. The forest according to claim 1, further comprising a suction blower for sucking air for transporting crushed pieces of forest biomass, on a discharge side of the pneumatic transportation pipeline. A collection and utilization system for biomass. 4. A method for burning debris of forest biomass discharged from an outlet of the pipeline for pneumatic transportation by means of at least one of combustion, thermal decomposition, gasification and fermentation to obtain thermal energy, combustible gas, and liquid. The forest biomass collection / utilization system according to claim 1, 2 or 3, further comprising a biomass conversion device that converts the biomass into fuel, charcoal or compost. 5. A debris separation device for separating debris of forest biomass discharged from an outlet of the pneumatic transportation pipeline before supplying the debris to the biomass conversion device. 4. A system for collecting and utilizing forest biomass according to 4. 6. The pneumatic transportation pipeline, wherein a solid product generated by the biomass conversion device and / or an unsuitable conversion material removed by the debris separation device is input into an outer edge of the forest or outside the forest. The forest biomass collection / utilization system according to claim 4 or 5, further comprising a port, and a unit for supplying air for transporting the produced solid matter and / or unconvertible matter into the forest.