JP7141897B2 - Wet biomass molding equipment - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a molding device for wet biomass supplied to a wet biomass incineration system.

Wet biomass, such as sewage sludge, woody biomass, and food waste, for example, is fed to an incinerator having a drying chamber and a combustion chamber in an incineration system. The wet biomass is, for example, dried with a desiccant gas in a drying chamber and then combusted with a combustible gas in a combustion chamber. Dry exhaust gas produced by drying biomass or flue gas produced by combustion of biomass is introduced into, for example, a power generator provided outside the incinerator.

The wet biomass is desirably pre-shaped to a small diameter to increase the surface area and allow for efficient drying before being fed to the incinerator. Therefore, for example, as disclosed in Patent Document 1, a method of molding wet biomass by pressing it against a drum having molding grooves formed on the peripheral surface, or as disclosed in Patent Document 2, a flow path in a molding apparatus A method has been proposed in which the wet biomass is shaped by circulating the wet biomass in a mold, and then the wet biomass is cut.

JP-A-2006-038339 JP 2014-195755 A

However, in the case of the method of Patent Document 1, it is necessary to continuously heat the peripheral surface of the drum in order to remove the wet biomass adhering to the drum, which poses a problem in terms of operating costs. In addition, in the case of the method of Patent Document 2, in order to prevent clogging of the comb teeth used for cutting the wet biomass due to foreign matter mixed in with the wet biomass, relatively frequent cleaning is required, which increases the work load related to maintenance. There is a risk. In the case of the method of Patent Document 2, continuous molding of the wet biomass is difficult because the wet biomass is discharged in an unmolded state when cleaning the comb teeth.

Therefore, when the wet biomass to be processed in the wet biomass processing facility is molded in advance into a small diameter, the present invention enables continuous molding of the wet biomass at a relatively low cost and reduces the work load related to the maintenance of the molding equipment. It is intended to

In order to solve the above problems, a wet biomass molding apparatus according to an aspect of the present invention includes a first gear and a second gear that are rotatably arranged in mesh with each other; A power transmission mechanism that transmits a rotational driving force to at least one gear, an inlet through which wet biomass is introduced, and an outlet through which the wet biomass is discharged, and a flow path through which the wet biomass flows. is formed, the first gear and the second gear are arranged in the flow path, and a hollow member that covers the outer circumference of at least one of the first gear and the second gear; In a state in which the first gear and the second gear are rotating and the wet biomass is pumped into the channel from the inlet toward the outlet, the wet biomass flows through the at least one gear and the hollow member. It is molded by passing between the inner peripheral surface of

According to the above configuration, the wet biomass is molded to have a small diameter by passing between the groove of at least one gear and the inner peripheral surface of the hollow member. Therefore, it is not necessary to heat the molding device to mold the wet biomass, and the operating cost can be reduced. Also, the gear used for molding is automatically cleaned by being meshed with the other gear. Therefore, wet biomass can be stably and continuously molded while reducing the work load related to the maintenance of the molding apparatus.

The hollow member may be arranged to cover the outer peripheries of the first gear and the second gear with a gap therebetween. As a result, wet biomass can be efficiently molded using the gap between the groove of the first gear and the hollow member and the gap between the groove of the second gear and the hollow member.

The first gear and the second gear may be helical gears. Accordingly, even if foreign matter is mixed in the wet biomass, the foreign matter can be easily discharged from the discharge port by flowing between the first gear and the second gear.

The hollow member may be arranged to cover the outer circumference of the first gear with a gap therebetween. According to the above configuration, by circulating the wet biomass between the first gear and the hollow member, the wet biomass can be molded, and by meshing the first gear and the second gear, the first gear and the second gear can be formed. Gears can be cleaned automatically. In addition, since the wet biomass can be discharged radially from the discharge port with respect to the rotation center of the first gear, the wet biomass can be prevented from adhering to the first gear and the second gear.

A first rotating shaft to which the first gear is fixed at one end in the axial direction, and a second rotating shaft to which the second gear is fixed at one end in the axial direction, wherein the first rotating shaft and the second rotating shaft are further provided. Of the shafts, a rotating shaft to which the at least one gear is fixed may extend from within the flow path to the outside of the hollow member.

According to the above configuration, the drive source that transmits the rotational driving force to the power transmission mechanism can be provided without being restricted by the volume of the hollow member. Therefore, the degree of freedom in designing the wet biomass molding apparatus can be improved.

A first diameter expansion adapter arranged on the other end side in the axial direction of the first gear of the first rotating shaft and having a diameter gradually increasing toward the discharge port, and from the second gear of the second rotating shaft a second diameter expansion adapter disposed on the other end side in the axial direction and having a diameter gradually increasing toward the discharge port, wherein the first diameter expansion adapter and the second diameter expansion adapter are arranged in the first It may be arranged on the upstream side in the flow path of the wet biomass from the gear and the second gear.

According to the above configuration, by arranging the first diameter expansion adapter on the first rotation shaft and arranging the second diameter expansion adapter on the second rotation shaft, the first diameter expansion adapter side of the first gear and the second gear While preventing the wet biomass from accumulating on the side of the second expanded diameter adapter, the wet biomass can be smoothly circulated in the channel from the inlet to the outlet.

a first flat adapter arranged axially on the other end side of the first rotating shaft relative to the first gear and extending in the axial direction of the first rotating shaft; and a shaft extending from the second gear of the second rotating shaft. a second flat adapter arranged on the other end side of the direction and extending in the axial direction of the second rotating shaft, wherein a cross section of the first flat adapter in the radial direction of the first rotating shaft and the second rotation A cross section of the second flat adapter in the radial direction of the shaft may be flat.

According to the above configuration, by rotating the first flat adapter about the first rotation shaft and rotating the second flat adapter about the second rotation shaft, the first gear and the second gear of the flow path are rotated. It is possible to prevent wet biomass from accumulating between the inner peripheral surface of the hollow member and the first and second rotating shafts in a region upstream of the gear in the wet biomass distribution direction.

A pumping unit arranged in the flow path and pumping the wet biomass toward the discharge port may be further provided upstream of the first gear and the second gear in the flow direction of the wet biomass.

According to the above configuration, for example, even when the pump for pumping wet biomass into the channel from the outside of the molding apparatus is stopped, the wet biomass in the channel can be discharged from the discharge port by driving the pumping unit.

According to each aspect of the present invention, when the wet biomass to be processed in the wet biomass processing facility is molded in advance into a small diameter, the wet biomass can be continuously molded at a relatively low cost, and the work load related to the maintenance of the molding device is made possible. can be reduced.

1 is a cross-sectional view of a wet biomass molding apparatus according to a first embodiment; FIG. FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the molding apparatus of FIG. 1; FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a wet biomass molding apparatus according to a modification of the first embodiment; FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a wet biomass shaping apparatus according to a second embodiment; FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of a wet biomass molding apparatus according to a third embodiment; FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the molding apparatus of FIG. 5 taken along the line VI-VI. FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of a wet biomass molding apparatus according to a fourth embodiment; FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of a wet biomass molding apparatus according to a fifth embodiment; FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of a wet biomass molding apparatus according to a sixth embodiment;

Hereinafter, each embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

(First embodiment)
[Wet biomass molding equipment]
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a wet biomass molding device 1 (hereinafter simply referred to as molding device 1) according to the first embodiment. 2 is a bottom view of the molding apparatus 1 of FIG. 1. FIG. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the molding apparatus 1 includes a hollow member 2, a supply pipe 3, an upper cover member 4, a lower cover member 5, a first shaft unit 6, a second shaft unit 7, and a power transmission mechanism 8. Prepare.

The hollow member 2 has an inlet 2a through which wet biomass is introduced and an outlet 2b through which the wet biomass is discharged. Inside the hollow member 2, a channel 2c is formed through which wet biomass flows. A first gear 12 and a second gear 15 are arranged in the flow path 2c as will be described later. Note that the wet biomass referred to in the present embodiment refers to biomass containing a carbon component and having a moisture content of several tens of percent or more when introduced into the channel 2c.

The hollow member 2 covers the outer circumference of at least one (here, both) of the first gear 12 and the second gear 15 . In this embodiment, the hollow member 2 is arranged so as to cover the outer circumferences of the first gear 12 and the second gear 15 with a gap therebetween.

Specifically, the hollow member 2 is formed in a tubular shape having upper and lower openings. A channel 2 c is formed inside the hollow member 2 . The flow path 2c extends in the vertical (Z) direction and has a flat cross-sectional shape extending in one (X) direction when viewed from the vertical direction.

The introduction port 2 a is formed in the side portion of the hollow member 2 . In the molding apparatus 1, wet biomass is introduced from the outside of the hollow member 2 into the flow path 2c through the introduction port 2a. A downstream end of the supply pipe 3 is connected to the inlet 2a. The supply pipe 3 extends in a first (Y) direction perpendicular to the vertical direction. A pump (not shown) arranged outside the molding apparatus 1 is connected to the supply pipe 3 . When the molding apparatus 1 is driven, wet biomass is pressure-fed into the flow path 2c through the supply pipe 3 by the driving force of the pump.

The upper cover member 4 is arranged above the hollow member 2 and attached to the hollow member 2 so as to close the upper opening of the hollow member 2 . The lower cover member 5 is arranged below the hollow member 2 and attached to the lower end of the hollow member 2 . An opening 5a is provided inside the lower cover member 5 when viewed in the vertical direction. A sealing portion (not shown) may be arranged between the hollow member 2 and the upper cover member 4 .

The first shaft unit 6 and the second shaft unit 7 penetrate the flow path 2c in the vertical direction and are arranged side by side in the second (X) direction perpendicular to the vertical direction and orthogonal to the first (Y) direction. . The first shaft unit 6 and the second shaft unit 7 are rotatably supported around their respective rotation axes, and a power transmission mechanism 8 transmits rotational driving force.

The 1st shaft unit 6 and the 2nd shaft unit 7 have the same structure as an example. The first shaft unit 6 has a first rotating shaft 11 and a first gear 12 . The second shaft unit 7 has a second rotating shaft 14 and a second gear 15 . The first shaft unit 6 and the second shaft unit 7 are rotatably supported by the upper cover member 4 while the first gear 12 and the second gear 15 are in mesh with each other.

The first rotating shaft 11 and the second rotating shaft 14 are arranged with their axes parallel to each other and are inserted through the flow path 2c. The first rotating shaft 11 and the second rotating shaft 14 extend outside the hollow member 2 from inside the flow path 2c. The upper portions of the first rotating shaft 11 and the second rotating shaft 14 are inserted through the upper cover member 4 and connected to the power transmission mechanism 8 .

A first gear 12 is fixed to the lower portion of the first rotating shaft 11 . A second gear 15 is fixed to the lower portion of the second rotating shaft 14 . In this manner, the first gear 12 is fixed to one axial end of the first rotating shaft 11 , and the second gear 15 is fixed to one axial end of the second rotating shaft 14 .

The first gear 12 and the second gear 15 are rotatably arranged in mesh with each other on the downstream side of the flow path 2c. As shown in FIG. 2 , the lower surfaces of the first gear 12 and the second gear 15 are exposed through the opening 5 a of the lower cover member 5 . The peripheral surfaces of the first gear 12 and the second gear 15 are covered with the hollow member 2, and the inner peripheral surface of the opening 5a and the grooves of the first gear 12 and the second gear 15 are separated from each other. .

Thus, between the peripheral surface of the lower cover member 5 defining the opening 5a and the peripheral surfaces of the first gear 12 and the second gear 15, a plurality of wet biomass discharge ports 2b are formed. When the molding apparatus 1 is driven, the positions of the discharge ports 2b move in the circumferential directions of the first gear 12 and the second gear 15 as the first gear 12 and the second gear 15 rotate. It should be noted that, of the lower surfaces of the first gear 12 and the second gear 15, regions radially inward of the ridges and troughs (grooves) of the teeth are covered with a cover member different from the lower cover member 5, for example. It may be

The power transmission mechanism 8 transmits rotational driving force to at least one of the first gear 12 and the second gear 15 . The power transmission mechanism 8 of this embodiment is connected to a drive source (not shown), and transmits rotational driving force from the drive source to the first rotating shaft 11 .

The power transmission mechanism 8 has a pair of gears 8a and 8b. Gear 8 a is fixed to first rotating shaft 11 , and gear 8 b is fixed to second rotating shaft 14 . A pair of gears 8a and 8b are in mesh with each other. Thereby, when the molding apparatus 1 is driven, the rotational driving force of the first rotating shaft 11 is transmitted to the second rotating shaft 14 via the pair of gears 8a and 8b. That is, in this embodiment, the first rotating shaft 11 is a driving shaft, and the second rotating shaft 14 is a driven shaft. Note that the rotational driving force of the first rotating shaft 11 may be transmitted to the second rotating shaft 14 via the first gear 12 and the second gear 15, or the first rotating shaft 11 and the second rotating shaft 14 may may be the drive shaft.

When the molding apparatus 1 is driven, wet biomass supplied from the supply pipe 3 is supplied from the introduction port 2a into the channel 2c. With the first rotating shaft 11 and the second rotating shaft 14 rotating and the first gear 12 and the second gear 15 meshing and rotating, the wet biomass is pumped from above through the flow path 2c by the pump. It is pumped downwards.

The wet biomass is molded into a long shape by flowing between the inner peripheral surface of the opening 5a of the lower cover member 5 and the grooves of the first gear 12 and the second gear 15, and is discharged from the molding apparatus 1 through the outlet 2b. is discharged to the outside of the At this time, the discharge port 2b functions as a nozzle for discharging the molded wet biomass.

Thus, in the molding apparatus 1, in a state in which the first gear 12 and the second gear 15 are rotated and the wet biomass is pressure-fed into the flow path 2c from the inlet 2a toward the outlet 2b, the wet biomass is at least It is molded by passing between one (here, both) gears and the inner peripheral surface of the hollow member 2 .

After the wet biomass flows from the discharge port 2b, the teeth of the first gear 12 and the second gear 15 are cleaned at the peaks and valleys at the meshing position. As a result, wet biomass adhering to the ridges and valleys of the teeth of the first gear 12 and the second gear 15 are removed, and the wet biomass can be molded again.

As described above, according to the molding apparatus 1, the wet biomass passes between the groove of at least one of the first gear 12 and the second gear 15 and the inner peripheral surface of the hollow member 2, thereby Molded to a small diameter. Therefore, it is not necessary to heat the molding device to mold the wet biomass, and the operating cost can be reduced. Also, the first gear 12 and the second gear 15 used for molding are automatically cleaned by meshing with the other gear. Therefore, wet biomass can be stably and continuously molded while reducing the work load related to the maintenance of the molding apparatus 1 .

In addition, since the outlets 2b are formed side by side in the respective circumferential directions of the first gear 12 and the second gear 15, the molding apparatus is more compact than a molding apparatus using a drum as described in Patent Document 1, for example. can be formed compactly. As a result, the molding apparatus 1 can be efficiently arranged, and the efficiency of the arrangement space can be improved.

The hollow member 2 is arranged so as to cover the outer circumferences of the first gear 12 and the second gear 15 with a gap therebetween. As a result, the gap between the groove of the first gear 12 and the hollow member 2 and the gap between the groove of the second gear 15 and the hollow member 2 can be used to efficiently mold wet biomass.

The molding apparatus 1 also includes a first rotating shaft 11 having a first gear 12 fixed to one end in the axial direction, and a second rotating shaft 14 having a second gear 15 fixed to one end in the axial direction. 11 and the second rotating shaft 14, the rotating shaft (here, both the first rotating shaft 11 and the second rotating shaft 14) to which the at least one gear to which the rotational driving force is transmitted from the power transmission mechanism 8 is fixed , extending from the inside of the flow path 2c to the outside of the hollow member 2. As shown in FIG. Therefore, the drive source for transmitting the rotational driving force to the power transmission mechanism 8 can be provided without being restricted by the volume of the hollow member 2 . Therefore, the degree of freedom in designing the molding apparatus 1 can be improved. Modifications of the first embodiment and other embodiments will be described below, focusing on differences from the first embodiment.

[Modification]
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the first gear 112 and the second gear 115 according to the modified example of the first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 3, the first gear 112 and the second gear 115 are helical gears. Therefore, even if foreign matter is mixed in the wet biomass, the foreign matter can be easily discharged from the discharge port 2b by flowing between the first gear 112 and the second gear 115 . That is, the foreign matter discharging performance of the molding apparatus can be improved.

(Second embodiment)
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the molding device 21 according to the second embodiment. As shown in FIG. 4, the molding device 21 includes a first diameter expansion adapter 213 and a second diameter expansion adapter 216 arranged in the flow path 22c.

The first diameter expansion adapter 213 is arranged on the other axial end side of the first rotating shaft 11 relative to the first gear 12 . The diameter of the first diameter expansion adapter 213 gradually increases toward the discharge port 22b. The second diameter expansion adapter 216 is arranged on the other axial end side of the second rotary shaft 14 relative to the second gear 15 . The diameter of the second diameter expansion adapter 216 gradually increases toward the discharge port 22b. The first diameter expansion adapter 213 and the second diameter expansion adapter 216 each have a substantially truncated conical appearance, but on a part of each peripheral surface, similar to the first gear 12 and the second gear 15, Tooth crests and troughs are formed that mesh with each other.

In the molding device 21, the first diameter expansion adapter 213 and the second diameter expansion adapter 216 are arranged upstream of the first gear 12 and the second gear 15 in the flow direction of the wet biomass in the channel 2c. Also, when viewed from the first direction, the first diameter expansion adapter 213 and the second diameter expansion adapter 216 are arranged at a position partially overlapping the introduction port 22a.

When viewed from the first direction, the width dimension of the flow path 22c of the hollow member 22 is wide at the position where the flow path 22c overlaps the first diameter expansion adapter 213 and the second diameter expansion adapter 216, and the flow path 22c is wider than the first gear 12. And at a position where it overlaps with the second gear 15, it narrows toward the discharge port 22b. The inner peripheral surface forming the flow path 22c of the hollow member 22 gently curves from the top to the bottom. This prevents wet biomass from adhering to the inner peripheral surface of the hollow member 22 .

According to the above configuration, by arranging the first diameter expansion adapter 213 on the first rotating shaft 11 and arranging the second diameter expansion adapter 216 on the second rotating shaft 14, the first diameter expansion adapter for the first gear 12 While preventing the wet biomass from accumulating on the 213 side and the second diameter expansion adapter 216 side of the second gear 15, the wet biomass is smoothly circulated in the flow path 22c from the inlet 22a toward the outlet 22b. be able to. Note that the first diameter expansion adapter 213 and the second diameter expansion adapter 216 may have flat peripheral surfaces and may be arranged apart from each other.

(Third Embodiment)
FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a molding device 31 according to the third embodiment. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the molding device 31 of FIG. 5 taken along line VI-VI. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, molding device 31 comprises first flat adapter 313 and second flat adapter 316 .

The first flat adapter 313 is arranged on the other axial end side of the first rotating shaft 11 relative to the first gear 12 and extends in the axial direction of the first rotating shaft 11 . A cross section of the first flat adapter 313 in the radial direction of the first rotating shaft 11 is flat. The first flat adapter 313 has a protrusion 313a that protrudes in one radial direction of the first rotating shaft 11 .

The second flat adapter 316 is arranged on the other axial end side of the second rotating shaft 14 relative to the second gear 15 and extends in the axial direction of the second rotating shaft 14 . A cross section of the second flat adapter 316 in the radial direction of the second rotating shaft 14 is flat. The second flat adapter 316 has a protrusion 316a that protrudes in one radial direction of the second rotating shaft 14 .

The flat adapters 313 and 316 are fixed to the first rotating shaft 11 and the second rotating shaft 14 at positions where the protrusions 313a and 316a do not interfere with each other. When the flat adapters 313 and 316 rotate together with the first rotating shaft 11 and the second rotating shaft 14, the wet biomass supplied from the inlet 32a into the channel 32c is agitated by the protrusions 313a and 316a, and the outlet 32b. The lower portions of the flat adapters 313 and 316 have, for example, the same shape as the enlarged diameter adapters 213 and 216 of the second embodiment, but are not limited to this.

According to the above configuration, by rotating the first flat adapter 313 around the first rotating shaft 11 and rotating the second flat adapter 316 around the second rotating shaft 14, the first Wet biomass accumulates between the inner peripheral surface of the hollow member 32 and the first rotating shaft 11 and the second rotating shaft 14 in a region upstream of the wet biomass distribution direction from the gear 12 and the second gear 15. can be prevented.

(Fourth embodiment)
FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of a molding device 41 according to the fourth embodiment. As shown in FIG. 7, the molding device 41 has a pumping section. The pumping unit is arranged in the flow path 42c and pumps the wet biomass toward the discharge port 42b on the upstream side of the first gear 12 and the second gear 15 in the distribution direction of the wet biomass.

Specifically, the molding device 41 includes a pair of impellers 9 and 10 as the pumping unit. As an example, the pair of impellers 9 and 10 have similar configurations. The impeller 9 is fixed to the first rotating shaft 11 on the other axial end side of the first gear 12 . The impeller 10 is fixed to the second rotating shaft 14 on the other axial end side of the second gear 15 . As a result, when the molding device 41 is driven, the impellers 9 and 10 rotate about the rotation axes of the first rotation shaft 11 and the second rotation shaft 14 together with the first rotation shaft 11 and the second rotation shaft 14 .

The impellers 9 and 10 extend in the vertical direction, and each maximum diameter is set to a value that fits within the cross-section of the flow path 42c as long as the impellers 9 and 10 do not interfere with each other. As an example, the introduction port 42 a of the hollow member 42 is arranged above the lower ends of the impellers 9 and 10 . The shape of the impellers 9 and 10 can be appropriately set according to the shape and volume of the flow path 42c.

By rotating the impellers 9 and 10 together with the first rotating shaft 11 and the second rotating shaft 14, the wet biomass supplied from the inlet 42a to the flow path 42c is agitated by the impellers 9 and 10 and directed toward the outlet 42b. is pumped.

According to the above configuration, for example, even when the pump for pumping the wet biomass from the outside of the molding device 41 into the channel 42c is stopped, by driving the pumping unit, the wet biomass in the channel 42c is discharged from the outlet 42b. can be discharged from

In a state in which the power supply to the molding device 41 and the pump is cut off, the impellers 9 and 10 are rotated by manually rotating the first rotating shaft 11 and the second rotating shaft 14 from the outside of the hollow member 42 by an operator. The molding device 41 may be configured to be rotated. As a result, the wet biomass in the molding device 41 can be satisfactorily discharged to the outside of the molding device 41 even when the power supply to the molding device 41 and the pump is cut off. Further, in the above embodiment, an example of using the impellers 9 and 10 as the pumping unit was shown, but the present invention is not limited to this, and a pusher device or the like may be used as the pumping unit.

(Fifth embodiment)
FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of a molding device 61 according to the fifth embodiment. As shown in FIG. 8, the molding device 61 has a structure common to that of the molding device 41, but has a pair of impeller units 13 and 16 instead of the pair of impellers 9 and 10 as a pumping section. . The impeller unit 13 has a pipe portion 13a formed in an elongated shape and inserted through the first rotating shaft 11, and an impeller portion 13b provided on a side portion of the pipe portion 13a. The impeller unit 16 has a pipe portion 16a formed in an elongated shape and inserted through the second rotating shaft 14, and an impeller portion 16b provided on a side portion of the pipe portion 16a.

The tube portion 13a covers the first rotating shaft 11 with the first gear 12 exposed. The tube portion 16a covers the second rotating shaft 14 with the second gear 15 exposed. The impeller portion 13 b is provided on the side portion of the pipe portion 13 a on the other axial end side of the first rotating shaft 11 relative to the first gear 12 . The impeller portion 16 b is provided on the side portion of the pipe portion 16 a on the other axial end side of the second rotating shaft 14 relative to the second gear 15 . When the molding device 61 is driven, the impeller portions 13b and 16b rotate around the first rotating shaft 11 and the second rotating shaft 14 together with the pipe portions 13a and 16a.

The impeller portions 13b and 16b extend in the vertical direction, and each maximum diameter is set to a value that fits within the cross section of the flow passage 62c of the hollow member 62 within a range in which the impeller portions 13b and 16b do not interfere with each other. As an example, the introduction port 62a of the hollow member 62 is arranged above the lower ends of the impeller portions 13b and 16b. The shape of the impeller portions 13b and 16b can be appropriately set according to the shape, volume, etc. of the flow path 62c.

Driving force is transmitted to the impeller units 13 and 16 from a power transmission mechanism. Here, the impeller unit 13 rotates around the first rotating shaft 11 in the opposite direction to the first rotating shaft 11 (the first gear 12). The impeller unit 16 rotates around the second rotating shaft 14 in the opposite direction to the second rotating shaft 14 (the second gear 15).

According to the above configuration, as the impeller units 13 and 16 rotate, the wet biomass supplied from the introduction port 62a to the flow path 62c is stirred by the impeller portions 13b and 16b and pressure-fed toward the discharge port 62b. . At this time, by rotating the impeller unit 13 in the opposite direction to the first gear 12 and rotating the impeller unit 16 in the opposite direction to the second gear 15, the wet biomass and foreign substances contained in the wet biomass are It is possible to further prevent deposition in the molding device 61 (inside the flow path 62c).

As in the molding device 41, for example, even when the pump that pumps the wet biomass into the flow path 62c from the outside of the molding device 61 is stopped, the impeller units 13 and 16 are driven to keep the inside of the flow path 62c wet. Biomass can be discharged from the discharge port 62b.

(Sixth embodiment)
FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of a molding device 51 according to the sixth embodiment. As shown in FIG. 9, the molding device 51 comprises a single first gear 17 and two second gears 18,19. The first rotating shaft 11 is vertically inserted through the flow path 52c of the hollow member 52 . Gears 17 to 19 are, for example, helical gears (here, helical bevel gears). The first gear 17 is arranged so that the axis of rotation (that is, the axis of rotation of the first rotating shaft 11) coincides with the vertical direction. The introduction port 52 a is arranged at a position partially overlapping the first rotating shaft 11 .

The second gears 18 and 19 are arranged so that their rotation axes are aligned in the horizontal direction and are opposed to each other on both sides of the rotation axis of the first gear 17 . The rotation shafts of the second gears 18 and 19 are supported by the hollow member 52 . The hollow member 52 is arranged so as to cover the outer circumference of the first gear 17 with a gap therebetween. This gap serves as a discharge port 52b in the molding device 51. As shown in FIG. The number of second gears is not limited to two, and may be one or three or more.

According to the above configuration, the wet biomass can be molded by circulating the wet biomass between the first gear 17 and the hollow member 52, and by meshing the first gear 17 and the second gears 18 and 19, The first gear 17 and the second gears 18, 19 can be cleaned automatically. In addition, since the wet biomass can be discharged radially from the outlet 52b with respect to the center of rotation of the first gear 17, the wet biomass can be prevented from adhering to the first gear 17 and the second gears 18 and 19. The first gear 17 and the second gears 18 and 19 are not limited to helical gears, and may be spiral bevel gears, for example.

The present invention is not limited to each embodiment and modifications, and its configuration can be changed, added, or deleted without departing from the spirit of the present invention. The axial dimension of the first gear may be set to a value equal to or greater than the maximum diameter of the first gear, and the axial dimension of the second gear may be set to a value equal to or greater than the maximum diameter of the second gear. According to this configuration, the first gear and the second gear can be stably rotated, and even if, for example, fibrous foreign matter is mixed in the wet biomass, the foreign matter does not get entangled in the first gear and the second gear. can be prevented.

1, 21, 31, 41, 51, 61 wet biomass molding device 2, 22, 32, 42, 52, 62 hollow member 2a, 22a, 32a, 42a, 52a, 62a introduction port 2b, 22b, 32b, 42b, 52b , 62b outlet 2c, 22c, 32c, 42c, 52c, 62c flow path 9, 10 impeller (pumping unit)
13, 16 impeller unit (pumping part)
11 first rotating shaft 12, 17, 112 first gear 14 second rotating shaft 15, 18, 19, 115 second gear 213 first diameter expansion adapter 216 second diameter expansion adapter 313 first flat adapter 316 second flat adapter

Claims (8)

a first gear and a second gear that are rotatably arranged in mesh with each other;
a power transmission mechanism that transmits rotational driving force to at least one of the first gear and the second gear;
It has an inlet through which wet biomass is introduced and an outlet through which the wet biomass is discharged, and a flow path through which the wet biomass flows is formed inside the flow path, and the first gear and the a hollow member disposed so that a meshing portion of the second gear is exposed to the outside and covering an outer circumference of at least one of the first gear and the second gear;
In a state in which the first gear and the second gear rotate and the wet biomass is pumped into the flow path from the introduction port toward the discharge port, the outer peripheral surface of the at least one gear and the hollow member A space formed between the inner peripheral surface of the one gear is exposed to the outside along the inner peripheral surface of the hollow member, and the wet biomass passes through the space to cause the A wet biomass molding device molded by the outer peripheral surface and the inner peripheral surface of the hollow member . The wet biomass shaping apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the hollow member is arranged to cover the outer circumferences of the first gear and the second gear with a gap therebetween. The wet biomass shaping apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the first gear and the second gear are helical gears. The flow path extends downward from above,
The wet biomass shaping apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3 , wherein the wet biomass is pumped downward through the channel . a first rotating shaft having the first gear fixed to one end in the axial direction;
a second rotating shaft to which the second gear is fixed at one end in the axial direction;
5. Any one of claims 1 to 4 , wherein, of the first rotating shaft and the second rotating shaft, the rotating shaft to which the at least one gear is fixed extends from within the flow path to the outside of the hollow member. The wet biomass molding apparatus according to item 1. a first diameter expansion adapter arranged on the other axial end side of the first rotating shaft relative to the first gear and having a diameter gradually increasing toward the discharge port;
a second diameter expansion adapter disposed on the other axial end side of the second rotating shaft relative to the second gear and having a diameter gradually increasing toward the discharge port;
The first diameter expansion adapter and the second diameter expansion adapter according to claim 5, wherein the first gear and the second gear are arranged upstream in the direction of flow of the wet biomass in the channel. Wet biomass molding equipment. a first flat adapter arranged axially on the other end side of the first rotating shaft relative to the first gear and extending in the axial direction of the first rotating shaft; and a shaft extending from the second gear of the second rotating shaft. A second flat adapter arranged on the other end side of the direction and extending in the axial direction of the second rotating shaft,
A cross section of the first flat adapter in the radial direction of the first rotating shaft and a cross section of the second flat adapter in the radial direction of the second rotating shaft are such that a part of the cross-sectional periphery is an inner peripheral surface of the hollow member. The wet biomass shaping apparatus according to claim 5 or 6, which is formed in a flat shape protruding toward . Further comprising a pumping unit arranged in the flow path and pumping the wet biomass toward the discharge port upstream of the first gear and the second gear in the distribution direction of the wet biomass. 8. The wet biomass molding apparatus according to any one of 7.

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