JP2013170191A - Method and apparatus for producing biomass fuel - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an apparatus for producing a biomass fuel by which an oil component, a flammable gas and a carbonized product can be collected from a biomass resource in high efficiency in the effective utilization of the biomass resource.SOLUTION: An apparatus for producing a biomass fuel is equipped with a first heat-treating apparatus 10 having a feeding port 11, a second heat-treating apparatus 20 communicating with the downstream of the first heat-treating apparatus 10, a cooling and collecting apparatus 30 communicating with the downstream of the second heat-treating apparatus 20, a heating apparatus 40 for heating the first and second heat-treating apparatuses 10 and 20, a distillation column 50 which communicates with each of the first and second heat-treating apparatuses 10 and 20, and to which gas is introduced from the first and second heat-treating apparatuses 10 and 20, coolers 60 for cooling each of the components fractionated by the distillation column 50, separators 70 for separating the components cooled by the coolers 60, and a storage tank 80 for compressing and storing the flammable gas after the fractionation.

Description

  The present invention relates to a biomass fuel manufacturing method and a manufacturing apparatus capable of obtaining biomass fuel from biomass resources.

  Conventionally, biomass oil has been collected from biomass resources such as rapeseed and palm palm, and used in various fields for food, lighting, and chemical industry. Further, in recent years, from the viewpoint of environmental problems and the like, use as a biodiesel fuel (BDF: Bio Diesel Fuel) obtained by methyl esterifying these biomass oils has attracted attention (Patent Document 1). This is because burning petroleum-derived fuel, which is a fossil fuel, generates carbon dioxide that can cause global warming. However, if it is a biomass-derived fuel, only carbon dioxide captured during the growth process is released. Therefore, it is a viewpoint that the amount of carbon dioxide of the whole earth does not increase (carbon neutral). In addition, although fossil resources are finite, biomass resources are infinite as long as organisms exist. As methods for collecting biomass oil from biomass resources, compression and solvent extraction are common.

WO 2006/016492

  However, in pressing, the oil contained in the biomass resource cannot be fully squeezed, and a large amount of oil remains in the squeezed residue, which is not efficient. On the other hand, solvent extraction involves problems such as post-treatment such as degumming, washing with water, distillation, filtration, and so on.

  In addition, only the oil component can be collected by pressing or solvent extraction, and there is a problem of wasting other active ingredients in the biomass resource. That is, if not only oil but also flammable gas and carbide can be collected from biomass resources, the effective utilization rate of biomass resources can be improved, but this cannot be achieved by pressing or solvent extraction.

  In areas where infrastructure such as electricity and gas is not developed, such as in remote islands and suburbs of less developed countries, there is a great demand for effective use of biomass fuel. At present, no practical biomass fuel production equipment has been developed.

  Therefore, the present invention solves the above-mentioned problem, and provides a method and an apparatus for producing a biomass fuel that can extract oil, combustible gas, and carbide from biomass resources and has a high effective utilization rate of biomass resources. With the goal.

  As a means for this, the present invention is a method for producing biomass fuel that obtains biomass fuel from biomass resources, the first heating step of heating the biomass resources to vaporize the vaporized components in the biomass resources, In the second heating step of heating the biomass resource at a higher temperature than the first heating step to further vaporize the remaining vaporized components and carbonizing the biomass resource, and in the first and second heating steps A fractionation process in which the vaporized component is introduced into a distillation tower, the vaporized component is cooled stepwise to sequentially fractionate a plurality of types of oils having different boiling points, and combustible gas generated at each stage in the fractionation process. A gas storage step of compressing and storing gas in the gas tank. Biomass resources mean resources derived from organisms such as animals and plants.

  The first heating step is preferably performed at 250 to 350 ° C, and the second heating step is preferably performed at 400 to 700 ° C.

  Furthermore, it is preferable to have a carbide recovery step of cooling and recovering the biomass resources carbonized in the second heating step.

  In the first and second heating steps, it is preferable to heat with superheated steam. The superheated steam means water vapor having a temperature exceeding 100 ° C. at normal pressure by further heating the saturated water vapor.

  Moreover, according to this invention, the manufacturing apparatus of the biomass fuel which obtains biomass fuel from biomass resources can also be proposed. Specifically, a first heat treatment means for heating the biomass resource to vaporize a vaporized component in the biomass resource, and further heating the biomass resource after the first heat treatment at a high temperature, The vaporization component is further vaporized and is communicated with the second heat treatment means for carbonizing the biomass resource and the first and second heat treatment means, and the vaporization vaporized in the first and second heat treatment means. It has fractionation means for fractionally cooling components and sequentially fractionating a plurality of types of oils having different boiling points, and gas storage means for compressively storing combustible gas generated at each stage in the fractionation means. It is characterized by.

  Preferably, the first heat treatment means heat-treats the biomass resource at 250 to 350 ° C., and the second heat treatment means heat-treats the biomass resource at 400 to 700 ° C.

  Furthermore, it is preferable to have a carbide recovery means for cooling and recovering the carbide generated in the second heat treatment means.

  The first and second heat treatment means communicate with steam generation means for generating steam and superheated steam generation means for superheating the steam to generate superheated steam, and the first and second heat treatment means. The means is preferably heated by superheated steam.

  Jatropha seeds can be suitably used as the biomass resource.

  According to the biomass fuel production method and production apparatus of the present invention, since the oil component is vaporized and extracted by heating, most of the oil component contained in the biomass resource can be reliably extracted, and the yield of the active ingredient Is expensive. Therefore, the utilization efficiency of the oil is significantly improved as compared with the extraction. Moreover, since oil can be obtained basically only by cooling the vaporized gas, it is simpler than solvent extraction. Moreover, by performing fractional cooling and fractional distillation, oil equivalent to heavy oil, light oil, and naphtha (gasoline) can be collected, and combustible gas equivalent to natural gas can also be obtained. As described above, according to the production method and the production apparatus of the present invention, a plurality of types of fuel can be continuously recovered with high yield from biomass resources, so that the range of use of biomass fuel has been expanded, and in particular, infrastructure has been established. Highly useful for areas without In addition, there is a merit that almost no waste is generated.

  If heated with superheated steam, the biomass resource can be heated quickly and efficiently. Moreover, if superheated steam is used, the inside of a processing tank will be in an oxygen-free state. Therefore, biomass resources are pyrolyzed without burning. Thereby, biomass resources can be carbonized as they are. Moreover, it can be activated to some extent depending on temperature conditions. The said carbide | carbonized_material can be utilized as various adsorbents, and the effective availability of biomass resources by this improves. Moreover, since superheated steam evaporates not only the oil content but also moisture and the like in the biomass resource, the biomass resource is inevitably dried. Therefore, there is a merit that it is not always necessary to dry biomass resources in advance as pretreatment.

It is a schematic diagram of the processing apparatus of biomass fuel.

  Hereinafter, representative embodiments of the present invention will be described. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and various modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention. The biomass resource to be treated according to the present invention is not particularly limited as long as it is a resource that contains oil and can finally be used as charcoal (including activated carbon). For example, plants such as Jatropha (also referred to as Nanafurabiri), cottonseed, soybeans, safflowers, rapeseed, flax, linseed, seeds, olives, sesame seeds, olives, sesame seeds, peanuts, palm palm, oil palm, coconut palm, coffee and sunflower List resources. Animal-derived resources may be used. These can be used alone or in combination of two or more. The plant resources typically use seed parts, but may include stems, leaves, roots, shells, and the like.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the biomass fuel production apparatus includes a first heat treatment apparatus 10 having a biomass resource inlet 11 and a second heat treatment apparatus communicating downstream of the first heat treatment apparatus 10. 20, a cooling recovery device 30 communicating downstream of the second heat treatment device 20, a heating device 40 for heating the first and second heat treatment devices 10, 20, and first and second heat treatment devices 10 and 20 respectively, a distillation column 50 into which gas from the first and second heat treatment apparatuses 10 and 20 is introduced, and a cooler 60 that cools components fractionated by the distillation column 50, respectively. It has the separator 70 which isolate | separates the component cooled with the cooler 60, and the storage tank 80 which compresses and stores the combustible gas after fractional distillation.

  In the first and second heat treatment apparatuses 10 and 20, the downstream portion of the first heat treatment apparatus 10 and the upstream portion of the second heat treatment apparatus 20 are communicated with each other. Although it will not specifically limit if it is an apparatus which can heat-process biomass resources as 1st and 2nd heat processing apparatus 10 * 20, For example, the apparatus which can be processed, stirring and transferring is preferable. Thereby, productivity improves because a biomass resource can be processed uniformly and continuously. That is, it can be set as a continuous biomass fuel manufacturing apparatus. Specifically, a screw-type heat treatment apparatus in which uniaxial or biaxial screw feeders are arranged in the axial direction, a rotary kiln, and the like are preferable. In the present embodiment, a single screw heating device is used. The first and second heat treatment apparatuses 10 and 20 correspond to the first and second heat treatment means of the present invention. Moreover, it is preferable that the 1st, 2nd heat processing apparatuses 10 and 20 have heat insulation.

  The biomass resource inlet 11 is provided upstream of the first heat treatment apparatus 10. As the input port 11, a general input hopper can be used, but a damper having an open / close door that ensures airtightness during processing is preferable. Among these, a damper having a plurality of upper and lower slide doors is preferable. In the present embodiment, a damper having two upper and lower sliding doors is installed.

  The cooling recovery device 30 communicates with the downstream portion of the second heat treatment device 20. The cooling recovery device 30 is a hollow cylinder and may be air-cooled (blower type) or water-cooled, but a water-cooled type with high cooling efficiency is preferable. In the present embodiment, a water-cooled cooling device is used in which a cooling pipe in which cooling water circulates and flows from a water storage tank (not shown) is arranged on the outer periphery of the hollow cylindrical body. The cooling recovery device 30 corresponds to the carbide recovery means of the present invention. An introduction valve 31 is provided between the second heat treatment apparatus 20 and the cooling recovery apparatus 30 to control the timing of introducing carbide from the second heat treatment apparatus 20 to the cooling recovery apparatus 30. Yes. In addition, a discharge valve 32 is provided downstream of the cooling recovery device 30 to keep the carbide in the cooling recovery device 30 for a predetermined time. In the present embodiment, as the introduction valve 31 and the discharge valve 32, rotary valves whose opening / closing timing is controlled by a control panel (not shown) are provided.

  The heating device 40 is not particularly limited as long as the inside of the first and second heat treatment devices 10 and 20 can be heated to a level of several hundred degrees, but a device that generates superheated steam is preferable. When heated with superheated steam, the biomass resource can be heated quickly and efficiently, and can be effectively carbonized without burning the biomass resource. In this embodiment, it has the boiler 41 as a steam generation means which produces | generates a vapor | steam as the heating apparatus 40, and the heater 42 as a superheated steam production | generation means which superheats a vapor | steam and produces | generates a superheated steam. The boiler 41 may be an electric boiler or a combustion boiler. From the viewpoint of energy cost and environment, an electric boiler is preferable. The heater 42 is not particularly limited as long as the saturated water vapor generated by the boiler 41 can be further heated. For example, in addition to an electric heater or a high frequency induction heating coil wound around a steam pipe from the boiler 41, a burner or the like may be used. In this embodiment, a pipe heater is used. The pipe heater is a metal hollow pipe made of Inconel, Hastelloy, or the like, and the pipe itself generates heat by energizing the pipe heater. The heating device 40 is branched and communicated so that superheated steam is supplied to the upstream portions of the first and second heat treatment devices 10 and 20.

  The distillation column 50 has a hollow cylindrical body 51 erected, and a metal mesh body 52 is arranged in a plurality of upper and lower stages inside the distillation column 50. Gases from the first and second heat treatment apparatuses 10 and 20 are communicated so as to be introduced into the lower part of the distillation column 50. As the mesh body 52, a wire mesh, a punching metal, or the like can be used. Depending on the number of installed mesh bodies 52 and the installation position, the fractionation timing and the degree of cooling of the gas flowing in the distillation column 50 from below to above can be set. The distillation column 50 corresponds to the fractionating means of the present invention.

  As each cooler 60 communicated with an appropriate place of the distillation column 50, a condenser can be preferably used. Each separator 70 has a configuration in which an oil / water tank in which liquefied oil and water are stored is integrated. In the separator 70, the oil and water can be separated and recovered by separating into an upper oil layer and a lower water layer due to the difference in specific gravity.

  As the storage tank 80, a known tank having pressure resistance capable of storing gas in a compressed state can be used. In this embodiment, a pressure resistant tank having a durability pressure of about 100 Bar is used. Reference numeral 81 is a safety valve for releasing the atmosphere when the pressure in the storage tank 80 becomes equal to or higher than a predetermined pressure to keep the internal pressure of the storage tank 80 constant. In this embodiment, the set pressure of the safety valve 81 is 25 Bar. Reference numeral 82 denotes a rupture desk that is a safety device that is preferentially destroyed when the internal pressure of the storage tank 80 suddenly rises above the set pressure of the safety valve 81 and prevents the storage tank 80 from rupturing. . The storage tank 80 corresponds to the gas storage means of the present invention.

  Note that a compressor 71 for compressing and supplying gas and a balloon 72 for temporarily storing the gas before being pumped into the storage tank 80 are provided between each separator 70 and the storage tank 80. By providing the balloon 72 between each separator 70 and the storage tank 80, the compressor 71 can efficiently pump gas to the storage tank 80. Further, if a see-through window is provided in the balloon 72, it is possible to visually recognize the gas recovery status and the like.

  Next, a method for producing biomass fuel using the biomass fuel production apparatus of the above embodiment will be described. First, biomass resources such as Jatropha seeds are input to the first heat treatment apparatus 10 from the input port 11 by a conveying means such as a belt conveyor or a bucket conveyor, or a shovel car or manually. If it is conveyance by a conveyor, it is preferable at the point which can supply a biomass resource easily continuously. Note that the biomass resource to be treated does not necessarily need to be dried in advance.

  The biomass resource input to the first heat treatment apparatus 10 is primarily heated by the superheated steam sent from the heating apparatus 40. The primary heating temperature may be within a relatively low temperature range of 250 to 350 ° C. Thereby, while vaporization components, such as an oil component with a comparatively low boiling point contained in biomass resources, vaporize, a moisture is also evaporated and drying is performed. That is, in the 1st heat processing apparatus 10, vaporization of a low boiling point vaporization component and drying of biomass resources are combined.

  The biomass resource primarily heated in the first heat treatment apparatus 10 is then automatically conveyed to the second heat treatment apparatus 20 and is secondarily heated by the superheated steam sent from the heating apparatus 40. The secondary heating temperature is performed in a range of 400 to 700 ° C. higher than the primary heating temperature. Thereby, almost all the remaining vaporized components can be vaporized and the biomass resources are carbonized. That is, in the 2nd heat processing apparatus 20, vaporization of the remaining vaporization component and carbonization of biomass resources are combined. If secondary heating is performed at as high a temperature as possible, it is possible to activate carbonized biomass resources to some extent.

  The biomass-derived carbides carbonized by the secondary heating are introduced into the cooling recovery device 30 via the introduction valve 31. Then, after cooling for a predetermined time in the cooling recovery device 30, it is discharged out of the device via the discharge valve 32. Thereby, the carbide | carbonized_material F1 which can be utilized as various adsorbents, a catalyst, a molecular sieve, etc. is obtained.

  On the other hand, the first and second heat treatment apparatuses 10 and 20 generate vapor in which vaporized components such as oil are vaporized together with superheated steam for heating. The gas containing superheated steam and vapor is introduced into the lower part of the distillation column 50 and gradually cooled while flowing upward through the plurality of mesh bodies 52 through the distillation column 50. A plurality of oils having different boiling points are sequentially fractionated. A gas at about 350 to 400 ° C. is introduced into the distillation column 50. Specifically, when gas is introduced from the first and second heat treatment apparatuses 10 and 20 to the distillation column 50, first, an oil component F2 corresponding to heavy oil having a high boiling point is liquefied and recovered via the cooler 60. . The gas that has not been liquefied at this stage rises in the distillation column 50 and is cooled to some extent (about 300 ° C.), and then the oil component F3 equivalent to light oil and water through another cooler 60 and separator 70. W is separated and recovered. The gas that has not been liquefied at this stage further rises in the distillation column 50, and finally, oil F4 equivalent to gasoline (naphtha) and water W are separated and recovered through the cooler 60 and the separator 70. .

  Further, after various oil components are separated and recovered in each fractionation stage, combustible gas corresponding to natural gas remains, and the combustible gas is temporarily stored in the balloon 72 and then stored in the storage tank 80 by the compressor 71. To be compressed and stored. The combustible gas has combustion energy that is comparable to that used not only for cooking and heating but also for industrial purposes such as metal welding.

  In addition, various oil components (biomass oils) F2 to F4 obtained by fractional distillation are refined as necessary, and various oils such as edible oils, lighting oils, industrial oils, combustion oils and the like according to their properties. Can be widely used for applications.

  Using a single-screw type heating device as the first and second heat treatment devices and using a biomass fuel production device using a superheated steam generator using a heater pipe as the heating device, biomass fuel is obtained from Jatropha seeds. The manufactured embodiment will be described. The present invention is not limited to this.

  250 kg of Jatropha seeds, which are sequentially conveyed by a bucket conveyor, from a two-stage damper as an input port are charged, heated primarily at 300 ° C. in the first heat treatment device, and secondary heated at 500 ° C. in the second heat treatment device. did. As a result, 50 kg of carbide, 22.5 kg of heavy oil equivalent oil, 45 kg of light oil equivalent oil, 7.5 kg of gasoline equivalent oil, and combustible gas were finally obtained. From this result, according to the biomass fuel production apparatus and production method of the present invention, it can be seen that the utilization rate (recovery rate) of the active ingredient is 90% or more. Moreover, when the burner cutting | disconnection of the steel material of thickness 5mm was tried using the obtained combustible gas, it was able to cut | disconnect inferior to the burner using LPG and natural gas.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 1st heat processing apparatus 20 2nd heat processing apparatus 30 Cooling recovery apparatus 41 Boiler 42 Heater 50 Distillation tower 52 Mesh body 60 Cooler 70 Separator 72 Balloon 80 Storage tank F1 Carbide F2, F3, F4 Oil content W Water

Claims (10)

A method for producing biomass fuel that obtains biomass fuel from biomass resources,
A first heating step of heating the biomass resource to vaporize a vaporized component in the biomass resource;
A second heating step of heating the biomass resource at a higher temperature than the first heating step to further vaporize the remaining vaporized components and carbonizing the biomass resource;
A fractionation step in which the vaporized component vaporized in the first and second heating steps is introduced into a distillation column, the vaporized component is cooled stepwise to sequentially fractionate a plurality of oils having different boiling points;
And a gas storage step of compressing and storing the combustible gas generated at each stage in the fractionation step in a gas tank. Performing the first heating step at 250 to 350 ° C .;
The manufacturing method of the biomass fuel of Claim 1 which performs a said 2nd heating process at 400-700 degreeC.   The manufacturing method of the biomass fuel of Claim 1 or Claim 2 which has the carbide | carbonized_material recovery process which cools the biomass resource after a said 2nd heating process, and collect | recovers carbide | carbonized_materials.   The method for producing biomass fuel according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein heating is performed by superheated steam in the first and second heating steps.   The method for producing biomass fuel according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the biomass resource is Jatropha seeds. A biomass fuel production apparatus for obtaining biomass fuel from biomass resources,
A first heat treatment means for heating the biomass resource to vaporize a vaporized component in the biomass resource;
A second heat treatment means for heating the biomass resource after the first heat treatment at a higher temperature to further vaporize the remaining vaporized component and carbonizing the biomass resource;
The first and second heat treatment means communicate with each other, and the vaporized components vaporized in the first and second heat treatment means are cooled stepwise to sequentially fractionate a plurality of types of oils having different boiling points. Fractionating means;
An apparatus for producing biomass fuel, comprising: gas storage means for compressing and storing combustible gas generated at each stage in the fractionation means. In the first heat treatment means, the biomass resource is heat-treated at 250 to 350 ° C.,
The method for producing a biomass fuel according to claim 6, wherein the biomass resource is heat-treated at 400 to 700 ° C. in the second heat treatment means.   The method for producing biomass fuel according to claim 6 or 7, further comprising carbide recovery means for cooling and recovering the carbide generated in the second heat treatment means. The first and second heat treatment means communicate with a steam generating means for generating steam and a superheated steam generating means for superheating the steam to generate superheated steam,
The method for producing biomass fuel according to any one of claims 6 to 8, wherein the first and second heat treatment means are heated by superheated steam.   The method for producing biomass fuel according to any one of claims 6 to 9, wherein the biomass resource is Jatropha seeds.

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