JP2016221509A - Agitator, methane fermentation apparatus, and biomass treatment system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a methane fermentation apparatus which can uniformly agitate biomass with electric power as little as possible.SOLUTION: A methane fermentation apparatus 121 includes: agitation plates 23, 53 which agitate biomass in fermentation tanks 21, 51; guide means which are arranged on the agitation plates 23, 53, and the fermentation tanks 21, 51, and guide the agitation plates 23, 53 between a bottom part and an upper part of the agitation tanks 21, 51; chains 25, 55 which connect the agitation plates 23, 53 and counter weights 24, 50; driven shafts 34, 64 and drive shafts 35, 65 respectively having sprockets 36, 37, 66, 67 on which the chains are wound; and a motor 26 which rotates the drive shafts 35, 65.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

  The present invention relates to a stirring device suitable for stirring biomass and subjecting it to methane fermentation, a methane fermentation device using the same, and a biomass processing system including the same.

  Conventionally, such a methane fermentation apparatus includes a fermenter in which biomass is supplied and methane fermentation is performed, a number of perforated disks arranged in the fermenter, and a drive device that raises and lowers the perforated disk. It is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In the apparatus of Patent Document 1, the porous disk is moved up and down by moving a shaft on which the porous disk is fixed up and down.

  In addition, as an apparatus for stirring a liquid such as biomass, an apparatus that lifts and lowers a stirring plate provided with a plurality of small holes near the center is known (for example, see Patent Document 2). In the stirring device of Patent Document 2, the stirring plate is moved up and down by vertically moving a shaft having the stirring plate fixed to the tip.

  Another known stirring device is a device that stirs a liquid by raising and lowering a rigid cap by intermittently supplying gas to the lower side thereof (see, for example, Patent Document 3). In the apparatus of Patent Document 3, a counterweight that balances the weight of the rigid cap is used, and the rigid cap can be lifted and lowered by using the buoyancy of gas.

  On the other hand, as a biomass processing system, the fermenter is arranged in a bag with a rubber or synthetic resin thin film in a rectangular parallelepiped housing, and the size of the rectangular parallelepiped can be moved by a trailer as a size restricted by the road transportation method. (See Patent Document 4 [0034] below).

Japanese Patent No. 2939095 JP 63-104638 A Japanese Patent No. 3774368 JP 2006-320894 A

  However, according to the devices of Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2 described above, the porous disk and the stirring plate are moved up and down by moving the shaft on which the porous disk and the stirring plate are fixed with a motor or the like. Large power is required.

  Moreover, since the stirring apparatus of patent document 3 aerates and stirs, it cannot apply to methane fermentation which is anaerobic fermentation as it is. Further, since a mechanism for supplying gas under the rigid cap is required, the apparatus configuration is complicated. Moreover, since the rigid cap is suspended by the cable, it may move in the lateral direction during lifting and lowering and may not be able to perform uniform stirring.

  Moreover, in the conventional biomass processing system, since the magnitude | size of a fermenter receives the restrictions on the dimension of the housing | casing, it is difficult to enlarge the whole system. On the other hand, it is conceivable to increase the amount of biomass fermentation processing by providing the conventional biomass processing system, but the number of overlapping facilities increases and the apparatus configuration becomes complicated, which is not realistic.

  The object of the present invention is to provide a stirrer that can uniformly stir biomass with as little power as possible and a methane fermentation apparatus using the stirrer, and to increase the size of the entire system with a simple configuration. It is in providing the biomass processing system which can respond.

  The stirrer of the present invention has a stirring tank to which a liquid material to be stirred is supplied and a shape suitable for the horizontal cross-sectional shape of the stirring tank, and is stirred up and down in the stirring tank to stir the liquid material A stirring plate, guide means for guiding the stirring plate so that the plate surface can move in the vertical direction between the bottom and the top of the stirring tank in a posture in which the plate surface faces in the vertical direction, and the weight of the stirring plate A counterweight for offsetting, a chain or belt of a predetermined length whose one end is fixed to a predetermined position of the stirring plate guided in the up-and-down direction and the other end is fixed to the counterweight, and above the predetermined position The chain or belt is interposed between the driven shaft having a sprocket or pulley on which one end side of the chain or belt is suspended to suspend the stirring plate, and the other end of the chain or belt. Characterized in that it comprises a motor for elevating the mixing plate by the a drive shaft sprocket or pulley suspending the counterweight hung is fixed, to rotate the drive shaft.

  In the present invention, the stirring plate is suspended from the sprocket or pulley of the driven shaft by a chain or belt, and the counterweight is suspended from the sprocket or pulley of the drive shaft by the chain or belt. Thereby, the weight of all or part of the stirring plate is offset by the counterweight. And when stirring the liquid substance supplied to the stirring tank, a stirring plate is raised / lowered by a counterweight and a motor.

  For example, when the stirring plate is raised, an upward force is applied to the stirring plate by the driving force of the motor and the gravity of the counterweight. When the stirring plate is lowered, the stirring plate is brought into a state where it can freely rotate without driving the motor (the brake of the motor is released), and the stirring plate is lowered by its own weight, which is heavier than the counterweight. Therefore, in this case, power can be saved by the amount that driving of the motor is not required when the stirring plate is lowered.

  When the stirring plate descends, the counter weight rises and reaches the upper part of the weight lifting tank described later, and the stirring plate descends and reaches the lower part of the stirring tank. During this time, the stirring plate is guided so that the plate surface can be moved up and down in a posture in which the plate surface is oriented in the vertical direction, and thus the stirring plate is lowered while maintaining a good posture in the horizontal direction.

  When the stirring plate rises, the counterweight descends and reaches the lower part of the weight lifting tank, and the stirring plate rises and reaches the upper part of the stirring tank. Similarly, at this time, the stirring plate rises while maintaining a good posture along the horizontal direction. In this way, the stirring plate repeatedly reciprocates between the upper part and the lower part of the stirring tank.

  During this time, when the stirring plate moves in the up and down direction, a part of the liquid is pushed in the moving direction by the plate material of the stirring plate, and the other part passes between the hole of the stirring plate or the outer periphery of the stirring plate and the stirring tank. . Thereby, the liquid material is uniformly stirred by the stirring plate. Therefore, according to the present invention, the liquid material can be uniformly stirred with a small amount of electric power.

  In the present invention, a weight raising / lowering tank that is adjacent to the outside of the stirring tank and forms a space for the counterweight to move up and down, and one sealed space including an inner space of the stirring tank and the weight lifting tank are configured. The stirring tank and the closing member for closing the weight raising / lowering tank, and the stirring plate, the counter weight, the chain or belt, the sprocket or pulley, the driven shaft, and the drive shaft in the sealed space. It is preferable that the motor is located outside the sealed space.

  According to this, since the stirring of the liquid material is performed in a sealed space, when the present invention is applied to biomass methane fermentation, gas generated by efficient methane fermentation is prevented from flowing out to the surrounding environment. The methane gas can be prevented from igniting due to the driving of the motor.

  Further, in the present invention, the guide means includes a stirring plate side guide portion that forms a guide hole penetrating in a vertical direction at a central portion of the stirring plate, and a guide hole in the vertical direction at a central portion of the stirring tank. A stirring vessel side guide portion extending through, the stirring plate side guide portion and the stirring vessel side guide portion are configured to guide the stirring plate while moving the stirring plate in parallel, One end of the chain or belt may be fixed to the stirring plate side guide portion.

  According to this, even when a single chain or belt is used, the liquid material can be stirred while stably moving the stirring plate in the up-and-down direction. Therefore, the apparatus can be configured more simply and compactly.

  In the present invention, the guide means is provided at a plurality of locations on the periphery of the stirring plate, and a stirring plate-side guide member for guiding the stirring plate in the up-and-down direction, and each stirring plate on the inner wall of the stirring tank There may be provided a stirring tank side guide member provided at a position corresponding to the side guide member from the bottom to the top of the stirring tank and guiding the stirring plate in cooperation with the stirring plate side guide member.

  According to this, even when the gap between the stirring plate and the stirring vessel is configured to be narrow, the stirring plate can be guided in a stable posture with a simple configuration.

  In this case, two chains or belts are provided, each one end of which is fixed to each position on the line passing through the center of gravity with respect to the stirring plate and equidistant from the position of the center of gravity. Each of the two chains or belts is preferably located on the same plane perpendicular to the line from one end to the other. According to this, the stirring plate can be smoothly raised and lowered while maintaining a good balance of the posture of the stirring plate during raising and lowering.

  In the present invention, the weight of the counterweight is set so that one of the rising and lowering of the stirring plate is performed by the stirring or the weight of the counterweight without driving the motor. Is preferred. According to this, power saving can be further achieved by the amount that does not require driving of the motor when the stirring plate is raised or lowered.

  The methane fermentation apparatus of the present invention includes the above-described stirring device, and is characterized in that a gas containing methane is generated by stirring the biomass with the stirring device and performing methane fermentation. According to this, biomass can be uniformly stirred by the stirring plate, methane fermentation can be uniformly promoted throughout the stirring tank, and efficient methane fermentation can be realized.

  The biomass processing system of the present invention is a biomass processing system that generates a generated gas containing methane by subjecting biomass to methane fermentation, and the raw water tank that stores the biomass and the biomass stored in the raw water tank are hydrolyzed. The above-mentioned fermentation unit that is connected to the hydrolysis tank of the first unit and the hydrolysis unit of the first unit, the hydrolysis unit to be decomposed, the rainwater tank, and the solar water hot water panel as a set, and fermenting the hydrolyzed biomass A second unit including an additional unit of a methane fermentation apparatus, a desulfurization apparatus connected to the methane fermentation apparatus and desulfurizing the generated gas generated in the methane fermentation apparatus, and a desulfurization apparatus of the second unit A generated gas tank for storing the generated gas supplied via the gas tank, and the generated gas stored in the gas tank. A third unit including a gas decomposition device for decomposing the gas and a regenerator using the decomposed cracked gas as a recyclable resource as a set, and a residue after fermentation of the biomass in the methane fermentation device of the second unit A fourth unit having a digestion fluid tank for storing digestive fluid, a dehydrating device for dewatering the digestive fluid stored in the digestive fluid tank, and a solidification device for solidifying the residue dehydrated by the dehydrating device as a set unit And a pretreatment unit having a crushing device that generates the biomass using food residue as a raw material as an expansion unit, and the first unit and the second unit are adjacent on a straight line in accordance with the biomass treatment process And the third unit, the fourth unit, and the pre-processing unit are connected to the first unit and the second unit. The regenerator of the third unit uses an occlusion device that occludes hydrogen in the cracked gas and the occlusion device. The occlusion device is configured to support a plurality of the first unit and the second unit. A fuel cell, an engine that burns the cracked gas, a generator that generates electric power by the engine, a compressor that compresses a carbon component in the cracked gas, and a filling material that is filled with carbon by the compressor are provided side by side It is characterized by that.

  According to the biomass processing system of the present invention, since the biomass adjusted to be suitable for fermentation by hydrolysis is continuously supplied to the methane fermentation apparatus, the hydrolysis tank and the methane fermentation apparatus are adjacent to each other in the biomass fermentation process. However, it is desirable to provide the first unit and the second unit integrally on a straight line.

  Furthermore, by arranging a plurality of the first unit and the second unit that are integrated, the entire system can be enlarged according to the amount of biomass fermentation.

  Here, even when a plurality of integrated first and second units are provided, the third unit connected to each second unit is independent of the first unit and the second unit, and thus the degree of freedom in arrangement. Can be given. Furthermore, since the third unit is configured to be compatible with a plurality of first and second units that are integrated, the third unit is made common and the apparatus configuration is not complicated.

  Thus, according to the biomass processing system of this invention, it can respond to the enlargement of the whole system with a simple structure.

  In addition, by configuring the pretreatment unit that generates the raw material of biomass independently from the first unit and the second unit, for example, a waste disposal contractor that collects food residues can use a conventional pretreatment unit. In addition, a large amount of biomass as a raw material for methane fermentation can be generated from food residues that have been disposed of as waste, and the entire system can be increased in size with a simple configuration.

  Moreover, according to the biomass processing system of the present invention, as a premise, each component constituting the biomass processing system can be handled as an independent unit by making each unit for each additional unit. Only a part of the units can be added, and a unit not added can be shared with the added units.

  Here, when a plurality of integrated first and second units are provided, all of the generated gas supplied from the plurality of methane fermentation apparatuses via the desulfurization apparatus is decomposed by the gas decomposition apparatus of the third unit. Need arises. Similarly, in the case where a plurality of the first unit and the second unit that are integrated with each other are provided, it is necessary to process all the digestive juices of the plurality of fermenters in the fourth unit.

  Therefore, by providing the third unit with a generated gas tank that temporarily stores the generated gas, the third unit can be shared, and a plurality of first units and second units can be accommodated.

  Similarly, by providing the fourth unit with a digestive fluid tank that temporarily stores digestive fluid, the fourth unit can be shared, and a plurality of first units and second units can be accommodated.

  On the other hand, when the first unit and the second unit are further expanded, the generated gas tank may become full. However, the cracked gas generated as a result of the decomposition is continuously decomposed by the gas decomposition apparatus. Also for (hydrogen), as described above, as a regeneration device, an occlusion device that occludes hydrogen in cracked gas, a fuel cell using the occlusion device, an engine that burns the cracked gas, and power generation by the engine Since a generator that performs the process is also provided, the final treatment of the cracked gas can be performed by complementing each other.

  Thereby, it can comprise so that a 3rd unit can be shared and it can respond to a some 1st unit and 2nd unit.

  As described above, according to the biomass processing system of the present invention, the third unit can be shared with the generated gas tank and the decomposed gas regenerating apparatus provided as a buffer, and the fourth unit can be shared with the digestive juice tank as a buffer. It is possible to secure a degree of freedom in which a plurality of first units and second units that are integrated with each other are provided.

  In the biomass processing system of the present invention, the first unit and the second unit may be configured to be capable of being loaded on a trailer integrally or separately.

  According to this, the 1st unit and 2nd unit which are united can be integrated or divided | segmented, respectively, and it is comprised so that it can load on a trailer. It is possible to cope with an increase in the size of the entire system.

It is an external view of the biomass processing system to which the methane fermentation apparatus of this embodiment is applied. It is a system block diagram which shows the whole structure of the biomass processing system of FIG. It is explanatory drawing which shows the specific structure of the 1st unit of FIG. 1, and a 2nd unit. It is a perspective view which notches and shows the structure of the methane fermentation apparatus of this embodiment partially. It is a perspective view which shows the stirring mechanism of the methane fermentation apparatus of FIG. It is a perspective view which shows another example of a methane fermentation apparatus. It is sectional drawing of the methane fermentation apparatus of FIG. It is a perspective view of the stirring board of the methane fermentation apparatus of FIG.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the biomass processing system to which the methane fermentation apparatus of the present embodiment is applied is a system that generates generated gas containing methane by subjecting biomass to methane fermentation, and is a pretreatment unit 10. A first unit 11, a second unit 12, a third unit 13, and a fourth unit 14.

  The pretreatment unit 10 includes, for example, a crushing device 100 that crushes food residues such as leftovers and garbage, and generates a biomass raw material by crushing food residues such as leftovers and food waste by the crushing device 100.

  In FIG. 1, the preprocessing unit is provided in the first unit 11 to the fourth unit 14, but the preprocessing unit 10 is configured independently of the first unit 11 to the fourth unit 14. The first unit 11 to the fourth unit 14 may be installed in different places.

  For example, a waste disposal contractor who has collected food residues is disposed of as a waste by setting up a pretreatment unit 10 in a food residue accumulation site, and the disposal site or intermediate treatment facility is conventionally disposed of as waste. A large amount of biomass as a raw material for methane fermentation can be generated from the food residue.

  The first unit 11 includes a rainwater tank 111, a raw water tank 112, a hydrolysis tank 113, a solar water hot panel 114 and a solar power generation panel 115 installed on the roof of the housing 110. Prepare. Part of the solar power generation panel 115 is installed on the roof of the casing 120 of the second unit 12 (illustration of the solar power generation panel 115 is omitted in FIG. 2).

  The rainwater tank 111 is a tank that collects rainwater that has fallen on the roofs of the first unit 11 and the second unit 12, and the rainwater in the rainwater tank 111 is sent to the solar hot water panel 114 and heated, and then the raw water It is supplied to the tank 112.

  The raw water tank 112 stores raw water obtained by mixing and adjusting the biomass generated by the pretreatment unit 10 and the hot water heated by the solar hot water panel 114.

  In the hydrolysis tank 113, raw water mixed and adjusted in advance in the raw water tank 112 is supplied into the tank by a pump P.

  In the raw water tank 112 and the hydrolysis tank 113, the temperature of the raw water is adjusted to an appropriate temperature by using hot water heated by the solar hot water panel 114, a heater (not shown), or the like. The raw water tank 112 and the hydrolysis tank 113 are provided with a stirrer N driven by an electric motor M, and the raw water is appropriately stirred and mixed by the stirrer N.

  The second unit 12 includes a methane fermentation apparatus 121 and a desulfurization apparatus 122 of the present invention housed in a housing 120.

  Here, the housing | casing 110 of the 1st unit 11 and the housing | casing 120 of the 2nd unit 12 are connectedly arranged adjacently on a straight line so that the process process of biomass may continue. As described above, the first unit 11 and the second unit 12 are integrally formed as a pair, and the first unit 11 and the second unit 12 are configured to be capable of being loaded on a trailer integrally or separately. Furthermore, a plurality of the first unit 11 and the second unit 12 that are integrated can be provided as appropriate in accordance with the amount of biomass fermentation treatment, and the entire system can be increased in size.

  In the methane fermentation apparatus 121, the biomass hydrolyzed in the hydrolysis tank 113 is supplied from the hydrolysis tank 113 by the pump P, and the supplied biomass is subjected to methane fermentation.

  The methane fermentation apparatus 121 includes a PH sensor PH, a temperature sensor t, and a heater H attached to the side wall, and is managed so that the pH and temperature are suitable for methane fermentation. A stirrer N driven by an electric motor M is provided, and the stirrer N performs stirring and mixing so that PH and temperature are uniform.

  The desulfurization apparatus 122 includes a plurality of desulfurization towers and removes hydrogen sulfide. The desulfurization device 122 is connected to an exhaust valve provided in the upper part of the methane fermentation device 121, and a generated gas containing methane generated as the methane fermentation of biomass in the methane fermentation device 121 progresses. Furthermore, by operating a plurality of valves provided in front of the desulfurization tower in accordance with the supply amount of the generated gas, the supply path of the generated gas can be changed, and the plurality of desulfurization towers are supplied with the generated gas. It can be used in a form suitable for the quantity.

  The third unit 13 includes a gas decomposition device 131 accommodated in the housing 130, a regeneration device 132 provided adjacent to the gas decomposition device 131, a desulfurization device 122 of the gas decomposition device 131 and the second unit 12, and And a generated gas tank 133 provided between the two.

  For example, by supplying methane gas between the discharge electrodes, the gas decomposition apparatus 131 decomposes methane and continuously generates a decomposition gas containing carbon and hydrogen.

  The regenerator 132 uses the cracked gas as a recyclable resource. For example, the storage device 132a that stores hydrogen in the cracked gas, the fuel cell 132b using the same, the engine 132c that burns the cracked gas, and the power generation by this. The generator 132d to perform, the compressor 132e which compresses the carbon component in cracked gas, and the filling substance 132f which performed carbon filling by this are included.

  The generated gas tank 133 is supplied with a generated gas containing methane generated as the biomass methane fermentation proceeds in the methane fermentation apparatus 121 of the second unit 12 via the desulfurization apparatus 122, and the generated gas is temporarily stored. Is done. Therefore, even when a plurality of the first unit 11 and the second unit 12 are provided in parallel, the generated gas tank 133 functions as a buffer without the generated gas supplied from these being directly supplied to the gas decomposition apparatus 131. With a simple configuration, the plurality of first units 11 and second units 12 can be configured.

  Here, by not providing the generated gas tank 133 in the housing 130, even when a plurality of the first unit 11 and the second unit 12 are provided at a later date, the capacity of the generated gas tank 133 is increased accordingly. It is possible to cope with this by making it unnecessary to change the facilities of the entire three units 13.

  The fourth unit 14 includes a dehydrator 141 housed in the housing 140, a solidification device 142 provided adjacent to the dehydrator 141, and the dehydrator 141 and the methane fermentation apparatus 121 of the second unit 12. The digestive fluid tank 143 provided in the above.

  The dehydrator 141 dehydrates the digestive juice that is a residue after the methane fermentation of the methane fermentation apparatus 121. As the dehydration technique, various existing techniques can be employed. Further, the moisture obtained by dehydrating the digested liquid is filtered and then returned to the rainwater tank 111 of the first unit 11.

  The solidification device 142 solidifies the digestive juice residue dehydrated by the dehydration device 141. As the solidification technique, various existing techniques such as compression and drying can be adopted.

  In the digestive juice tank 143, digestive juice that is a residue after methane fermentation in the methane fermentation apparatus 121 of the second unit 12 is supplied via the pump P of the methane fermentation apparatus 121, and the digestive juice is temporarily stored. Therefore, even when a plurality of the first unit 11 and the second unit 12 are provided in parallel, the digestive juice tank 143 functions as a buffer without supplying the digestive juice supplied from these to the dehydrating apparatus 141. With such a configuration, a plurality of first units 11 and second units 12 can be configured.

  Here, by not providing the digestive juice tank 143 in the housing 140, even when a plurality of the first units 11 and the second units 12 are provided at a later date, the capacity of the digestive juice tank 143 is increased accordingly. It is possible to cope with this by making it unnecessary to change the equipment of the entire fourth unit.

  The above is the configuration of the biomass processing system of the present embodiment, and according to such a biomass processing system, the first unit 11 and the second unit 12 are configured integrally on a straight line, and a plurality of these units are provided side by side. The whole can be enlarged according to the fermentation processing amount of biomass.

  Furthermore, since the third unit 13 and the fourth unit 14 are configured to be capable of supporting a plurality of first units 11 and second units 12 that are integrated, a plurality of first units 11 and second units 12 are provided. Even when the entire system is increased in size, the third unit 13 and the fourth unit 14 are shared, so that the apparatus configuration is not complicated.

  Thus, according to the biomass processing system of this embodiment, it is possible to cope with an increase in the size of the entire system with a simple configuration.

  In the present embodiment, the generated gas tank 133 is not accommodated in the casing 130 of the third unit 13, but may be configured to be accommodated in the casing 130. Similarly, the digestive fluid tank 143 is not accommodated in the casing 140 of the fourth unit 14, but may be configured to be accommodated in the casing 140.

  FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the methane fermentation apparatus 121 of the second unit 12, and FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the stirring mechanism of the methane fermentation apparatus 121. As shown in these figures, the methane fermentation apparatus 121 is configured by applying the agitation apparatus of the present invention, and agitation is performed by supplying biomass hydrolyzed in the above-described hydrolysis tank 113 and performing the methane fermentation. A fermentation tank 21 as a tank and a stirring mechanism 22 as a stirrer N for stirring the biomass in the fermentation tank 21 are provided.

  The stirring mechanism 22 includes a stirring plate 23 that is moved up and down in the fermenter 21, a counterweight 24 for offsetting the weight of the stirring plate 23, one end fixed to the stirring plate 23, and the other end fixed to the counterweight 24. The two chains 25 are provided, and a motor 26 that drives the chains 25 is provided.

  The stirring plate 23 has a substantially rectangular peripheral shape adapted to the horizontal cross-sectional shape of the rectangular parallelepiped fermenter 21. The stirring plate 23 is provided with a large number of holes 27 uniformly over the entire plate surface. The stirring plate 23 is moved up and down in a posture in which the plate surface is oriented in the vertical direction in the fermenter 21 and stirs the biomass in the fermenter 21.

  The stirring plate 23 is provided on the stirring plate side for guiding the stirring plate 23 in the up-and-down direction at a plurality of peripheral positions, for example, center portions of both short sides and two locations on both long sides. A guide member 28 is provided. Further, on the inner wall of the fermenter 21, the stirrer plate 23 is moved in the up-and-down direction in cooperation with each stirrer side guide member 28 from the bottom to the upper part of the fermenter 21 at a position corresponding to each stirrer side guide member 28. A fermenter side guide member 29 for guiding is provided. The fermenter side guide member 29 corresponds to the stirring tank side guide member in the present invention.

  The stirring plate side guide member 28 is formed, for example, as a member that forms a long groove in the up-and-down direction that opens outward in the horizontal direction, and the fermenter side guide member 29 has a rectangular shape that fits loosely into this groove. It is formed as a rod-shaped member having a cross section and extending from the bottom of the fermenter 21 to the top.

  A weight raising / lowering tank 30 that forms a space for the counterweight 24 to move up and down is provided adjacent to the fermentation tank 21 outside the fermentation tank 21. The weight raising / lowering tank 30 has a rectangular upper end edge adjacent to the upper end edge at the same level as the rectangular upper end edge of the fermenter 21 and smaller than the upper end edge, and substantially the same depth as the fermenter 21. Have The chain 25 has an appropriate length corresponding to the lifting range of the stirring plate 23 and the lifting range of the counterweight 24.

  One end of each of the two chains 25 is fixed to two points P1 and P2 that are separated from the center of gravity by the same distance in both directions on a line passing through the center of gravity of the stirring plate 23. Each other end is fixed to each end on both sides of the counterweight 24. Each of the two chains 25 is located on the same plane perpendicular to the line from one end to the other end.

  A frame-like support member 31 that supports the stirring mechanism 22 is provided from the fermentation tank 21 to the weight lifting tank 30. The support member 31 has a rectangular first side extending from the upper end edge of the weight elevating tank 30 opposite to the fermenter 21 to the opposite side of the upper end edge of the weight elevating tank 30 to the weight elevating tank 30. The frame 32 and the second frame 33 fixed on the first frame 32 are fixed.

  The first frame 32 is fixed to the upper ends of the weight lifting tank 30 and the fermenter 21, and plays a role of securely fixing the second frame 33 on the weight lifting tank 30 and the fermenter 21. The second frame 33 has one side having the same length as the one side of the first frame 32, and the opposite side extends to a position beyond the center of the fermenter 21. The second frame 33 rotatably supports the driven shaft 34 and the drive shaft 35 constituting the stirring mechanism 22.

  The driven shaft 34 is provided with two sprockets 36 that are respectively located above the places P1 and P2 where one ends of the two chains 25 are fixed and on which the one ends of the two chains 25 are respectively hung.

  The drive shaft 35 is interposed between the driven shaft 34 and the counterweight 24, and two sprockets 37 on which the other ends of the two chains 25 are respectively hung are fixed to the drive shaft 35. The support member 31 is provided with a motor 26 that rotates the drive shaft 35. The motor 26 is a brake motor with a speed reducer.

  The fermenter 21 and the weight raising / lowering tank 30 are provided with a closing member that closes them so as to constitute one sealed space including these internal spaces. In this sealed space, the stirring plate 23, the counterweight 24, the chain 25, the sprockets 36 and 37, the driven shaft 34, and the drive shaft 35 are located. The motor 26 is located outside the sealed space.

  The closing member includes a closing plate 38 that closes the outer portion of the first frame 32 in the region surrounded by the upper end edge of the fermenter 21, and the second frame 33 in the region surrounded by the upper end edge of the first frame 32. It is composed of a closing plate 39 that closes a portion opposite to the weight lifting / lowering tank 30, a closing plate 40 that closes an area surrounded by the upper edge of the second frame 33, and a first frame 32 and a second frame 33. The

  The rotation shaft of the motor 26 is connected to one end of the drive shaft 35 through the through hole of the second frame 33. A seal member is provided between the through-hole and the rotary shaft or the drive shaft 35, so that odor leakage and gas leakage from the methane fermentation apparatus 121 can be prevented.

  In addition to the above-described PH sensor PH, temperature sensor t, and heater H, the fermenter 21 has a viewing window 41 for viewing the state in the fermenter 21 and a biomass level in the fermenter 21. A liquid level gauge 42, a drain port 43, a gas transfer port 44 for transferring generated gas containing methane gas generated in the fermenter 21 to the desulfurizer 122, a supply port 45 for supplying biomass into the fermenter 21, A transfer pipe 46 and the like for transferring the digested liquid that is a residue after methane fermentation in the fermenter 21 to the dehydrator 141 are provided.

  In this configuration, the stirring plate 23 is suspended from the two sprockets 36 of the driven shaft 34 by the two chains 25, and the counterweight 24 is suspended from the two sprockets 37 of the drive shaft 35 by the two chains 25. It is in the state where it was done. That is, the weight of all or part of the stirring plate 23 is offset by the counterweight 24. When the biomass supplied to the fermenter 21 is subjected to methane fermentation, the motor 26 is driven in one direction and the other direction for a certain period of time.

  When the motor 26 is driven in one direction, the drive shaft 35 is rotated by the motor 26, and the two chains 25 are driven toward the stirring plate 23 by the two sprockets 37. Thereby, the counterweight 24 rises and reaches the upper part of the weight raising / lowering tank 30, and the stirring plate 23 descends and reaches the lower part of the fermentation tank 21. At this time, since the stirring plate 23 is guided by the stirring plate side guide member 28 and the fermenter side guide member 29 so that the plate surface can be moved up and down in a posture in the vertical direction, the plate surface is in the horizontal direction. Descent while keeping good posture along.

  When the motor 26 rotates in the other direction, the two chains 25 are driven toward the counterweight 24. Therefore, the counterweight 24 descends to reach the lower portion of the weight lifting tank 30, and the stirring plate 23 rises. And reaches the top of the fermenter 21. At this time as well, the stirring plate 23 rises while maintaining a good posture along the horizontal direction of the plate surface. Therefore, when the driving of the motor 26 in one direction and the other direction is repeated, the stirring plate 23 repeatedly reciprocates between the upper part and the lower part of the fermenter 21.

  At that time, with the movement of the stirring plate 23, a part of the biomass is pushed in the moving direction by the plate material of the stirring plate 23, and the other part passes through the hole 27 of the stirring plate 23, whereby the biomass is stirred by the stirring plate 23. Is done. Since the stirring plate 23 is provided with a large number of holes 27 uniformly over the entire plate surface, this stirring is performed uniformly over the entire surface of the stirring plate 23. The stirring plate 23 reciprocates between the upper and lower portions of the fermenter 21 repeatedly. Therefore, the biomass is uniformly stirred throughout the fermenter 21. Thereby, methane fermentation is accelerated | stimulated uniformly throughout the fermenter 21, and methane fermentation is performed efficiently.

  As described above, according to the methane fermentation apparatus 121 of the present embodiment, the stirring plate 23 is guided in the up and down direction by the stirring plate side guide member 28 and the fermenter side guide member 29. For this reason, the stirring plate 23 having a relatively large area is suspended by the two chains 25, and the weight of the stirring plate 23 is offset by the counterweight 24, and the plate surface is always lifted in a stable posture in the vertical direction. Can be made. Therefore, the biomass can be efficiently stirred and methane fermentation can be performed while driving the motor 26 with less electric power.

  In addition, a weight raising / lowering tank 30 is provided adjacent to the fermenter 21, and the stirring plate 23 and the counterweight 24 are connected via the chain 25, the driven shaft 34, the drive shaft 35, and the sprockets 36 and 37, and the drive shaft Since the motor 35 is rotated by the motor 26, the power-saving stirring mechanism 22 can be configured with a simple configuration.

  Further, since such a simple configuration is adopted, the sealed space in which methane fermentation is performed includes a chain 25, a driven shaft 34, a drive shaft 35, sprockets 36 and 37, a stirring plate 23 and a counterweight 24, and a motor 26. The space positioned on the outside can be easily defined by the closing member. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the generated gas due to methane fermentation from leaking to the outside of the methane fermentation apparatus 121 and to prevent the generated gas from being ignited by driving the motor 26.

  Moreover, since the biomass supplied to the fermenter 21 has been subjected to hydrolysis treatment in the hydrolysis tank 113, the above-described efficient methane fermentation in the methane fermentation apparatus 121 is performed by the above-described stirring mechanism 22. It can be realized without regret.

  Also, each end of the two chains 25 is fixed to the above-mentioned portions P1 and P2 of the stirring plate 23, and the two chains are positioned on the same plane perpendicular to the line passing through the center of gravity. The stirring mechanism 22 can be configured as a compact and efficient mechanism.

  FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing another example of the methane fermentation apparatus 121 of the second unit 12, and FIG. 7 is a sectional view thereof. As shown in these figures, the methane fermentation apparatus 121 is configured by applying the stirring apparatus of the present invention, and supplied with the biomass hydrolyzed in the hydrolysis tank 113 (FIGS. 2 and 3) described above. A fermentation tank 51 as a stirring tank in which the methane fermentation is performed and a stirring mechanism 52 as a stirrer N for stirring the biomass in the fermentation tank 51 are provided.

  The stirring mechanism 52 includes a stirring plate 53 that is moved up and down in the fermenter 51, a counterweight 50 for offsetting the weight of the stirring plate 53, one end fixed to the stirring plate 53, and the other end fixed to the counterweight 50. And a motor 26 with a brake for driving the roller chain 55.

  FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the stirring plate 53. As shown in FIG. 8, the stirring plate 53 is adapted to the horizontal cross-sectional shape of the rectangular parallelepiped fermentation tank 51 (FIG. 6) and has a substantially rectangular peripheral shape slightly smaller than the shape. The stirring plate 53 is configured by bolting a non-slip steel plate 56 having a large number of holes 56 c in the stirring plate frame 54, and has a large number of holes 56 c almost uniformly over the entire plate surface of the stirring plate 53.

  The non-slip steel plate 56 includes two rectangular steel plate portions 56a extending from the central portion toward the edge in the lateral direction at the longitudinal center of the stirring plate 53, and a total of four steel plate portions on both sides of each steel plate portion 56a. 56b. The stirring plate frame 54 is configured by combining an L-shaped steel 57 so that the steel plate portions 56a and 56b can be bolted appropriately.

  In the central portion between the two steel plate portions 56 a in the stirring plate 53, a stirring plate side guide portion 58 that forms a guide hole 58 a penetrating in the ascending / descending direction of the stirring plate 53 is provided. The guide hole 58a has a certain length in the ascending / descending direction, and has a rectangular cross section. Fixing holes 58b for fixing one end of the roller chain 55 to the stirring plate side guide portion 58 via the joint link 55a are provided on each side wall of the stirring plate side guide portion 58 on both sides in the short side direction of the stirring plate 53.

  As shown in FIG. 7, a fermenter-side guide portion 59 that extends through the guide hole 58 a in the ascending / descending direction is provided at the center of the fermenter 51. Fermenter side guide part 59 is equivalent to the stirring tank side guide part in the present invention. The fermenter side guide part 59 is comprised by the two square pipes 59a, contacts the guide hole 58a of the stirring plate side guide part 58, and guides the stirring plate side guide part 58 to an up-down direction.

  In other words, the stirring plate side guide portion 58 and the fermenter side guide portion 59 move the stirring plate 53 between the bottom and the upper portion of the fermenter 51 while moving the stirring plate 53 in the up-and-down direction in a posture in which the plate surface faces the vertical direction. A guiding means for guiding in the up-and-down direction is configured. Following this guidance, the stirring plate 53 is raised and lowered in the fermenter 51 to stir the biomass in the fermenter 51.

  On the outside of the fermenter 51, a weight lifting tank 60 that forms a space for the counterweight 50 to move up and down is provided adjacent to the fermenter 51. The weight lifting tank 60 is adjacent to the upper edge at the same level as the rectangular upper edge of the fermenter 51 and has a rectangular upper edge smaller than the upper edge, and has a depth substantially the same as that of the fermenter 51. Have

  The roller chain 55 has an appropriate length corresponding to the lifting range of the stirring plate 53 and the lifting range of the counterweight 50. One end of the roller chain 55 is fixed to the fixing hole 58b of the stirring plate side guide portion 58 via the joint link 55a, and the other end is fixed to the counterweight 50.

  An upper limit switch 60a and a lower limit switch 60b for defining the upper limit position and the lower limit position corresponding to the lifting range of the counterweight 50 are provided above and below the weight lifting tank 60.

  A cover member 61 that supports the stirring mechanism 52 is provided from the weight lifting / lowering tank 60 to the center of the fermentation tank 51. In other words, the driven shaft 64 and the drive shaft 65 around which the roller chain 55 is hung are rotatably supported by the cover member 61. The driven shaft 64 is provided with one sprocket 66 that is positioned above a portion where one end of the roller chain 55 is fixed and on which one end of the roller chain 55 is hung.

  The drive shaft 65 is interposed between the driven shaft 64 and the counterweight 50. That is, one sprocket 67 on which the other end side of the roller chain 55 is hung is fixed to the drive shaft 65. A motor 26 that rotates the drive shaft 65 is provided outside the cover member 61. The motor 26 is a brake motor with a speed reducer.

  The cover member 61 is a closing member that closes the inner space of the fermenter 51 and the upper plate 51a of the fermenter 51 while combining the inner spaces so as to form one sealed space including the inner spaces of the fermenter 51 and the weight lifting / lowering tank 60. Function. In this sealed space, the stirring plate 53, the counterweight 50, the roller chain 55, the sprockets 66 and 67, the driven shaft 64, and the drive shaft 65 are located. The motor 26 is located outside the sealed space.

  The rotation shaft of the motor 26 is connected to one end of the drive shaft 65 through the through hole of the cover member 61. A seal member is provided between the through-hole and the rotary shaft or the drive shaft 65, and odor leakage and gas leakage from the methane fermentation apparatus 121 are prevented.

  In addition to the above-described PH sensor PH, temperature sensor t, and heater H, the fermenter 51 includes an in-tank inspection window 71 for inspecting the fermenter 51, and a biomass level in the fermenter 51. Liquid level gauge, drain port 73, gas transfer port 74 for transferring generated gas containing methane gas generated in the fermenter 51 to the desulfurizer 122, supply port 75 for supplying biomass into the fermenter 51, fermentation A transfer pipe 76 and the like for transferring the digested liquid that is a residue after methane fermentation in the tank 51 to the dehydrator 141 are provided.

  The top plate 51a of the fermenter 51 is provided with an upper inspection window 77 for inspecting the inside of the fermenter 51 from above. The cover member 61 is provided with a driven shaft inspection window 78 for inspecting the driven shaft 64 and a drive shaft inspection window 79 for inspecting the drive shaft 65. The weight raising / lowering tank 60 is provided with a weight inspection window 80 for inspecting the counterweight 50.

  In this configuration, the stirring plate 53 is suspended from the sprocket 66 of the driven shaft 64 by the roller chain 55, and the counterweight 50 is suspended from the sprocket 67 of the drive shaft 65 by the roller chain 55. In this example, the weight of the stirring plate 53 is larger than the weight of the counterweight 50, and a part of the weight of the stirring plate 53 is offset by the counterweight 50.

  When the biomass supplied to the fermenter 51 is subjected to methane fermentation, the motor 26 is driven in a direction to raise the stirring plate 53 for a certain time. Thereby, the stirring plate 53 located in the lower part of the fermenter 51 rises to the upper part of the fermenter 51.

  When the stirring plate 53 reaches the upper part of the fermenter 51, the motor 26 is stopped driving for a certain time, and the brake of the motor 26 is also turned off so that the drive shaft 65 can freely rotate. Thereby, the stirring plate 53 descends to the lower part of the fermenter 51 due to its own weight larger than the weight of the counterweight 50. Note that the weight of the counterweight 50 is set so that the descending speed in this case is suitable for stirring.

  This ascent and descent is repeated. At that time, the on / off timing of the motor 26 is controlled by the upper limit switch 60 a and the lower limit switch 60 b of the weight lifting tank 60.

  Accordingly, as in the case of the methane fermentation apparatus 121 of FIG. 4 described above, the stirring plate 53 is repeatedly reciprocated between the upper and lower portions of the fermenter 51 while being translated and moved in a posture in which the plate surface is directed in the vertical direction. To do.

  At that time, along with the movement of the stirring plate 53, a part of the biomass is pushed in the moving direction by the plate material of the stirring plate 53, and the other part is the hole 56c of the stirring plate 53, the outer peripheral portion of the stirring plate 53 and the fermenter 51. The biomass is agitated by the agitating plate 53 by passing between the inner walls of the agitator.

  Therefore, the biomass is uniformly stirred throughout the fermenter 51. Thereby, methane fermentation is uniformly promoted over the whole fermenter 51, and methane fermentation is performed efficiently.

  As described above, according to the methane fermentation apparatus 121 of FIGS. 6 to 8, as in the case of the methane fermentation apparatus 121 of FIG. A power-saving and simple configuration methane fermentation apparatus capable of performing fermentation can be configured. In particular, when the stirring plate 53 is lowered, the drive of the motor 26 is stopped, so that power can be saved more effectively.

  Further, similarly to the case of the methane fermentation apparatus 121 of FIG. 4, the generated gas due to methane fermentation is prevented from leaking outside the methane fermentation apparatus 121 and the generated gas is prevented from being ignited by driving the motor 26. be able to. Furthermore, since the stirring plate 53 is moved up and down by one roller chain 55, the stirring mechanism 52 can be configured as a more compact and efficient mechanism.

  As mentioned above, although embodiment of this invention was described, this invention is not limited to this. For example, pulleys and belts may be used in place of the sprockets 36, 37, 66, 67, the chain 25, and the roller chain 55. Further, the number of the chain 25 may be three or more, and the number of sprockets 36 and 37 may be increased correspondingly.

  Further, the switching of the driving direction of the motor 26 may be automatically performed by a control circuit, or may be manually performed while visually confirming the raising / lowering position of the stirring plate 23 or the stirring plate 53. Moreover, what has a roller is employ | adopted as the stirring plate side guide member 28 or the stirring plate side guide part 58, and what has the rail which this roller drive | runs as the fermenter side guide member 29 or the fermenter side guide part 59. It may be adopted.

  The stirring device of the present invention is not limited to the methane fermentation device 121 that stirs biomass and performs methane fermentation, but can also be used for stirring for other liquid substances. Further, it can be used effectively for stirring biomass in the hydrolysis tank 113.

  Further, the stirring plates 23 and 53 may not have the holes 27 and 56c. In this case, when the stirring plates 23 and 53 are moved up and down, the biomass pushed by the stirring plates 23 and 53 passes between the stirring plates 23 and 53 and the fermenter, and the pushing direction of the stirring plates 23 and 53 Move to the other side. Again, the biomass is stirred uniformly.

  Further, the stirring plates 23 and 53 may have a weight equivalent to or smaller than that of the counterweights 24 and 50. When the stirring plates 23 and 53 have the same weight as the counterweights 24 and 50, the motor 26 is driven both when the stirring plates 23 and 53 are raised and lowered. When the stirring plates 23 and 53 have a weight smaller than the counterweights 24 and 50, the motor 26 is driven only when the stirring plates 23 and 53 are lowered.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Pretreatment unit, 11 ... 1st unit, 12 ... 2nd unit, 13 ... 3rd unit, 14 ... 4th unit, 21 ... Fermenter (stirring tank), 23, 53 ... Stirring plate, 24, 50 ... Counter weight, 25 ... chain, 26 ... motor, 27, 56c ... hole, 28 ... stirring plate side guide member, 29 ... fermenter side guide member (stirring vessel side guide member), 30 ... weight lifting tank, 34 ... driven shaft 35 ... drive shaft, 36, 37 ... sprocket, 55 ... roller chain, 58 ... stirring plate side guide part, 59 ... fermenter side guide part (stirring tank side guide part) 100 ... crushing device, 111 ... rain water tank, 112 ... Raw water tank, 113 ... Hydrolysis tank, 121 ... Methane fermentation device, 122 ... Desulfurization device, 131 ... Gas decomposition device, 132 ... Regeneration device, 133 ... Generated gas tank, 141 ... Dehydration device, 142 ... Apparatus, 143 ... digestive fluid tank, P1, P2 ... point.

Claims (9)

A stirring tank to which a liquid material to be stirred is supplied;
A stirring plate that has a shape adapted to the horizontal cross-sectional shape of the stirring tank, and is stirred up and down in the stirring tank to stir the liquid material;
Guiding means for guiding the stirring plate so that the plate surface can move in the ascending / descending direction between the bottom and the top of the stirring tank in a posture in which the plate surface is oriented in the vertical direction;
A counterweight for offsetting the weight of the stirring plate;
A chain or belt having a predetermined length in which one end is fixed to a predetermined position of the stirring plate guided in the ascending / descending direction and the other end is fixed to the counterweight;
A driven shaft having a sprocket or pulley on which the one end side of the chain or belt is hung above the predetermined position and suspends the stirring plate;
A drive shaft that is interposed between the driven shaft and the counterweight, and on which the other end of the chain or belt is hung and a sprocket or pulley that suspends the counterweight is fixed;
A stirrer comprising: a motor that moves the stir plate up and down by rotating the drive shaft. A weight lifting tank adjacent to the outside of the stirring tank and forming a space for the counterweight to move up and down,
A closing member that closes the stirring tank and the weight lifting tank so as to constitute one sealed space including an internal space of the stirring tank and the weight lifting tank;
The stirring plate, the counterweight, the chain or belt, the sprocket or pulley, the driven shaft, and the drive shaft are located in the sealed space, and the motor is located outside the sealed space. The stirrer according to claim 1. The guiding means includes
A stirring plate side guide portion forming a guide hole penetrating in the ascending / descending direction at the central portion of the stirring plate;
A stirring tank side guide portion extending through the guide hole in the ascending / descending direction at the central portion of the stirring tank,
The stirring plate side guide portion and the stirring vessel side guide portion are configured to guide the stirring plate while moving the stirring plate in parallel,
The stirring device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein one end of the chain or belt is fixed to the stirring plate side guide portion. The guiding means includes
A stirring plate side guide member provided at a plurality of locations on the periphery of the stirring plate, for guiding the stirring plate in the up and down direction;
A stirring tank side guide that is provided from the bottom to the top of the stirring tank at a position corresponding to each stirring plate side guide member on the inner wall of the stirring tank and guides the stirring plate in cooperation with the stirring plate side guide member. The stirring device according to claim 1, further comprising a member. Two chains or belts are provided, and each one end thereof is fixed to each position on the line passing through the center of gravity with respect to the stirring plate and equidistant from the position of the center of gravity.
5. The stirring device according to claim 4, wherein each of the two chains or belts is located on the same plane perpendicular to the line from one end to the other end.   The weight of the counterweight is set so that one of the raising and lowering of the stirring plate is performed by the stirring or the weight of the counterweight without driving the motor. Item 6. The stirring device according to any one of Items 1 to 5.   A methane fermentation apparatus comprising the agitator according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein a gas containing methane is generated by agitation of biomass by the agitator and methane fermentation. A biomass processing system for generating generated gas containing methane by subjecting biomass to methane fermentation,
A raw water tank for storing the biomass, a hydrolysis tank for hydrolyzing the biomass stored in the raw water tank, a rainwater tank, and a first unit with a solar water panel as an extension unit,
The methane fermentation apparatus according to claim 7 connected to the hydrolysis tank of the first unit and fermenting the hydrolyzed biomass, and desulfurization of the generated gas connected to the methane fermentation apparatus and generated in the methane fermentation apparatus A second unit as an expansion unit with a desulfurization apparatus for performing
A generated gas tank that stores the generated gas supplied via the desulfurization device of the second unit, a gas decomposition device that decomposes the generated gas stored in the gas tank, and a regeneration that uses the decomposed decomposed gas as a recycled resource A third unit with the device as a set as an expansion unit;
In the methane fermentation apparatus of the second unit, the digestive juice tank that stores the digested juice that is a residue after fermentation of the biomass, the dehydrator that dehydrates the digested juice stored in the digested juice tank, and the dehydrator A fourth unit as a set of expansion units with a solidifying device for solidifying the remaining residue;
A pretreatment unit with a crushing device that produces the biomass from food residue as a raw material,
The first unit and the second unit are connected and arranged in a straight line adjacent to the biomass processing step, and the third unit, the fourth unit, and the pretreatment unit are connected to the first unit. 1 unit and the second unit are independent of each other, and are configured to support a plurality of the first unit and the second unit,
The regenerator of the third unit is a storage device for storing hydrogen in the cracked gas, a fuel cell using the storage device, an engine for burning the cracked gas, and a generator for generating electric power by the engine; A biomass processing system comprising: a compressor that compresses a carbon component in the cracked gas; and a filling material that is filled with carbon by the compressor.   The biomass processing system according to claim 8, wherein the first unit and the second unit are configured to be integrated or divided so that they can be loaded on a trailer.