WO2024134994A1

WO2024134994A1 - Organic-waste treating apparatus

Info

Publication number: WO2024134994A1
Application number: PCT/JP2023/031084
Authority: WO
Inventors: 眞一下瀬
Original assignee: 株式会社下瀬微生物研究所
Priority date: 2022-12-20
Filing date: 2023-08-29
Publication date: 2024-06-27
Also published as: JP2024088521A

Abstract

Provided is an organic-waste treating apparatus comprising a heating jacket that can uniformly heat an object to be treated housed in a housing part.　The organic-waste treating apparatus comprises a housing vessel 21, and a housing part heating means H that heats a housing part 216 of the housing vessel 21. The housing part heating means H has a heating jacket 23 provided around a first peripheral wall part 211 of the housing vessel 21. The heating jacket 23 has a cylindrical second peripheral wall part 231 that covers the periphery of the first peripheral wall part 211, and a plurality of steam guide members 232. The steam guide members 232 divide the space surrounded by the first peripheral wall part 211 and the second peripheral wall part 231 into a plurality of steam chambers R. An upper portion of the second peripheral wall part 231 is provided with first supply ports 231a and second supply ports 231b for introducing heating steam respectively into the steam chambers R. The steam guide members 232 have, in upper portions thereof, upper cutouts 232a for letting adjacent steam chambers R communicate with each other.

Description

Organic waste treatment equipment

The present invention relates to an organic waste treatment device.

　Conventionally, there is known a treatment device that dries and treats organic waste materials (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Materials to be treated include livestock waste (manure) and organic sludge. The treatment device in Patent Document 1 is equipped with a drying container (storage container) having a storage section for storing the materials to be treated, a heating jacket for heating the storage section, and agitating blades for agitating the materials to be treated within the storage section. The heating jacket is provided around the entire circumference of the drying container.

A steam connector is attached to the lower end of the heating jacket, and an exhaust connector is attached to the upper end of the heating jacket. A steam pipe is connected to the steam connector. A return pipe is connected to the exhaust connector. These steam pipes and return pipes are connected to a boiler. Heating steam generated in the boiler is supplied to the heating jacket, heating the entire inner wall of the drying vessel.

Inside the heating jacket, multiple guide plates are provided to prevent the heating steam from short-circuiting inside the heating jacket. This divides the heating jacket into multiple steam chambers. Heating steam is supplied to each steam chamber from a branched steam pipe. By dividing the heating jacket into multiple steam chambers, it is easier for the heating steam to spread throughout the entire heating jacket compared to when it is not divided.

JP 2002-71269 A

However, in conventional processing equipment such as that disclosed in Patent Document 1, the position, density, temperature, and material of the workpieces in the storage section were not uniform during processing. Due to this unevenness in the workpieces in the storage section, the amount of heat required to be applied to the outer wall of the drying container differed depending on the location on the outer wall of the drying container. The heating jacket of conventional processing equipment was designed to supply heating steam of the same pressure to each steam chamber from the supply port at almost the same time in all steam chambers, so it was not possible to flexibly adjust the steam pressure or heating temperature in the heating jacket to accommodate the unevenness.

Specifically, when the wall of the first steam chamber is in contact with a part of the workpiece that has a low temperature, the amount of condensation of the heating steam increases in the first steam chamber. This causes a problem in that the steam pressure in the first steam chamber drops suddenly, and the heating temperature also drops accordingly. On the other hand, when the wall of the second steam chamber is in contact with a part of the workpiece that has a high temperature, the amount of condensation of the heating steam in the second steam chamber is less than that in the first steam chamber. As a result, there is a difference in steam pressure and heating temperature between the first and second steam chambers.

The processing device in Patent Document 1 was structured so that heating steam was introduced into the steam chamber from the lower end of the heating jacket and exhausted from the upper end of the heating jacket. When food waste is used as the material to be processed, it has a relatively lower moisture content than sludge. This makes it possible to efficiently heat the food waste that has accumulated in the lower part of the storage section by condensing the heating steam immediately after introduction. However, when sludge is used as the material to be processed, it has a high moisture content and therefore requires a large amount of heat. This causes a problem when sludge is used as the material to be processed, in that the heating steam introduced near the connection between the heating jacket and the steam pipe is condensed immediately after introduction. As a result, there is a problem that the entire steam chamber cannot be heated evenly due to a local decrease in steam pressure and a decrease in heating temperature.

The present invention was made in consideration of the above situation, and its purpose is to provide an organic waste treatment device equipped with a heating jacket that can uniformly heat the material contained in the storage section.

The inventions disclosed in this specification to solve the above problems are configured as follows. That is, the first invention is an organic waste treatment device including a storage container having a storage section for storing organic waste, a storage section heating means for heating the storage section, and a stirring device having a stirring member for stirring the organic waste in the storage section, and using microorganisms to decompose organic components of the organic waste, the storage container having a cylindrical first peripheral wall section and a pair of end wall sections closing an open end of the first peripheral wall section, the storage section heating means including a heating jacket provided around the first peripheral wall section, and a heating jacket for heating the organic waste from a boiler that generates heating steam, the heating jacket being configured to heat the organic waste. The heating jacket has a supply pipe for supplying the steam to the heating jacket, and the heating jacket has a cylindrical second peripheral wall portion that covers the periphery of the first peripheral wall portion, and a plurality of annular steam guide members arranged at a predetermined interval in the axial direction of the second peripheral wall portion, and the steam guide members are arranged to divide the space surrounded by the first peripheral wall portion and the second peripheral wall portion into a plurality of steam chambers, and a supply port for introducing the heating steam is provided in the upper part of the second peripheral wall portion corresponding to each of the steam chambers, and the steam guide member has an upper cutout portion at the upper part to communicate the adjacent steam chambers.

According to the first invention, the heating jacket is divided into a plurality of steam chambers by a steam guide member. A supply port for introducing heating steam into each steam chamber is provided at the upper part of the second peripheral wall part of the heating jacket. In addition, the steam guide member has an upper cutout portion at the upper part for connecting adjacent steam chambers.

By dividing the heating jacket into multiple steam chambers, the heating steam is supplied almost simultaneously to each steam chamber, which has a smaller volume than if the heating jacket was not divided. This makes it easier to distribute the heating steam throughout the heating jacket.

In addition, the organic waste to be treated contained in the storage section tends to accumulate in the lower part of the storage section due to gravity, leaving space in the upper part of the storage section. The amount of heat required to be applied to the first peripheral wall part of the storage container is greater at the lower part of the first peripheral wall part, where the materials to be treated come into contact, than at the upper part of the first peripheral wall part. As a result, the amount of heating steam condensed in the lower part of the steam chamber increases, and the heating steam moves from the upper part of the steam chamber to the lower part of the steam chamber.

During processing, if unevenness occurs in the position, density, temperature, or material of the objects to be processed that accumulate in the lower part of the storage section, the amount of condensation of the heating steam will change between the multiple steam chambers. For example, suppose that an object to be processed with a low temperature is in contact with a position of the first peripheral wall part of the storage container that corresponds to the first steam chamber. Also, suppose that an object to be processed with a relatively high temperature is in contact with a position of the first peripheral wall part that corresponds to the second steam chamber. Assume that the first steam chamber and the second steam chamber are adjacent to each other. In this case, the amount of condensation of the heating steam increases in the first steam chamber. This causes the steam pressure of the first steam chamber to decrease. Meanwhile, in the second steam chamber, the amount of condensation of the heating steam is less than in the first steam chamber, so the steam pressure does not decrease. This causes a pressure difference to occur between the steam pressure in the first steam chamber and the steam pressure in the second steam chamber.

Since gas moves from high pressure to low pressure, the heating steam in the second steam chamber moves towards the first steam chamber through the upper cutout. This naturally adjusts the steam pressure in the first steam chamber and the steam pressure in the second steam chamber to an equal state. As a result, the object to be treated can be heated evenly in the first steam chamber and the second steam chamber. This mechanism allows for flexible adjustment of the steam pressure and heating temperature of the heating steam between multiple steam chambers, so the object to be treated contained in the container can be heated evenly.

In addition, the supply port for introducing the heating steam and the upper cutout of the steam guide member are both located at the top of the second peripheral wall of the heating jacket. That is, the supply port and the upper cutout are located at the top of the steam chamber. Since the workpiece accumulates in large amounts at the bottom of the storage section, the upper part of the first peripheral wall of the storage container requires less heat than the lower part. Therefore, the amount of condensation of the heating steam is small at the top of the steam chamber. The heating steam introduced from the supply port is temporarily stored in the top of the steam chamber. In addition, the volume of the heating steam stored in the top of the steam chamber is large compared to the flow rate of the heating steam introduced from the supply port. As a result, when the heating steam moves from the top of the steam chamber to the bottom of the steam chamber, the heating steam stored in the top of the steam chamber is mainly supplied. As a result, it is possible to cope with a temporary and sudden increase in the amount of condensation compared to when the heating steam is directly introduced from the supply port provided at the bottom of the steam chamber.

In addition, if a pressure difference occurs between the steam pressure of the adjacent first steam chamber and the steam pressure of the second steam chamber, the heating steam that has accumulated in the upper part of the first steam chamber or the upper part of the second steam chamber moves through the upper cutout. This allows the steam pressure and heating temperature of the heating steam to be adjusted more smoothly than when the heating steam is moved directly between the lower part of the first steam chamber and the lower part of the second steam chamber.

In addition, by providing an upper notch in the steam guide member, the upper notch can be used as a buffer in the event that thermal deformation occurs in the first peripheral wall of the storage vessel to which the steam guide member is welded. This makes it possible to prevent breakage due to thermal deformation of the welded portion of the first peripheral wall and the steam guide member.

In the second invention, the upper cutout portion is provided at the upper end portion of the steam guide member in the first invention, and the supply port has a first supply port and a second supply port, and the first supply port and the second supply port are provided corresponding to each of the multiple steam chambers, and are arranged so that the upper cutout portion is located midway between and above the first supply port and the second supply port when the second peripheral wall portion is viewed in the axial direction.

According to the second invention, by introducing the heating steam into the steam chamber from the two supply ports, the first supply port and the second supply port, the heating steam can be spread downward from the upper part of the steam chamber along the two outer peripheral surfaces of the first peripheral wall portion located on opposite sides. This allows the treatment object contained in the container to be heated more uniformly. In addition, since the upper cutout portion is located above the first supply port and the second supply port, the upper cutout portion can be located farther away from the lower part of the steam chamber, where the amount of condensation of the heating steam is large, than the first supply port and the second supply port. As a result, the heating steam passing through the upper cutout portion is accumulated in the upper part of the steam chamber. This allows the timing when the same particles of the heating steam move from the upper part of the steam chamber to the lower part to be separated from the timing when they pass through the upper cutout portion, and the pressurizing steam can be supplied more smoothly to the lower part of the steam chamber, where the amount of condensation is large.

In the third invention, in the second invention, a water outlet is provided at the lower end of the second peripheral wall portion to discharge condensed water generated by condensation of the heating steam, and the steam guide member has a lower cutout at the lower end to communicate with adjacent steam chambers.

According to the third invention, condensed water does not accumulate in the steam chamber, and can be smoothly discharged from the steam chamber. Furthermore, even if there is an imbalance in the amount of condensed water generated between multiple steam chambers, the condensed water can be moved between the steam chambers through the lower notch, so that the condensed water can be discharged more smoothly than if there were no lower notch. Furthermore, the lower notch paired with the upper notch at the upper end of the steam guide member acts as a buffer when thermal deformation occurs in the first peripheral wall of the storage vessel, and further prevents breakage due to thermal deformation of the welded parts of the first peripheral wall and the steam guide member.

In the fourth invention, the number of water outlets is less than the number of water supply ports in the third invention.

According to the fourth invention, by having fewer water outlets for condensed water than supply ports for heating steam, the resistance when the heating steam flows out from the water outlets is increased, making it easier to keep the heating steam inside the steam chamber. This allows sufficient heat exchange of the heating steam. Also, manufacturing costs can be reduced compared to providing a water outlet for each steam chamber.

In the fifth invention, in any one of the second to fourth inventions, a communication pipe mounting area for mounting a communication pipe that communicates with the storage section is provided on the upper part of the second peripheral wall section, and the supply piping has a first parallel supply pipe section and a second parallel supply pipe section that extend along the second peripheral wall section in the axial direction of the second peripheral wall section and sandwich the communication pipe mounting area in a plan view, and the first parallel supply pipe section is connected to the first supply port of each of the multiple steam chambers by a first terminal branch pipe section, and the second parallel supply pipe section is connected to the second supply port of each of the multiple steam chambers by a second terminal branch pipe section.

According to the fifth invention, the supply piping can be configured in a minimum space without interfering with the communication pipe that communicates with the storage section and the equipment arranged around the heating jacket. In addition, it is easy to introduce heating steam evenly from the first supply port and the second supply port to each steam chamber.

The organic waste treatment device according to the present invention can uniformly heat the organic waste to be treated that is stored in the storage section of the storage container.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of an organic waste treatment device according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a front view showing the fermentation drying apparatus and its periphery according to this embodiment. FIG. 3 is a plan view showing the fermentation drying apparatus and its periphery according to this embodiment. FIG. 4 is a front view showing the inside of the heating jacket of this embodiment. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the essential parts of the storage vessel and the heating jacket of the fermentation and drying apparatus taken along line BB of FIG. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the essential parts of the storage vessel and the heating jacket of the fermentation and drying apparatus taken along line CC of FIG.

The following describes an embodiment of the present invention with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram of an organic waste treatment device 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention. This treatment device 1 is a device that uses microorganisms to decompose the organic components of organic waste. As shown in FIG. 1, the treatment device 1 is equipped with a fermentation drying device 2, a boiler 3, a steam control device 4, a steam generator 5, a condensation section 6, a cooling tower 7, a vacuum pump 8, a foreign matter sorter 9, a drain recovery tank 11, an economizer 12, a dust remover 13, and a water scrubber 14.

The fermentation and drying device 2 processes organic waste such as organic food waste, livestock waste (manure), and organic sludge discharged from general households. The fermentation and drying device 2 performs reduced pressure fermentation and drying processing on such organic waste materials. The fermentation product obtained by this reduced pressure fermentation and drying processing is sent to a foreign matter sorting machine 9, where foreign matter such as metals mixed in the fermentation product is removed. The fermentation product from which the foreign matter has been removed is supplied as solid fuel to the boiler 3 and burned. The boiler 3 generates steam by utilizing this combustion energy. The steam generated in the boiler 3 is supplied to the steam generator 5 via the steam control device 4. As a result, the steam generator 5 generates electricity. The steam generated in the boiler 3 is also supplied to the fermentation and drying device 2 via the steam control device 4 as heating steam.

The fermentation and drying apparatus 2 comprises a storage container 21, a heating jacket 23, and an agitator 22. The storage container 21 has a storage section 216 for storing the material to be treated inside. The storage container 21 has a cylindrical first peripheral wall section 211 and a pair of

end wall sections

212, 212 that close the open end of the first peripheral wall section 211. The first peripheral wall section 211 has a substantially elliptical cross-sectional shape. The fermentation and drying apparatus 2 is disposed so that the central axis of the first peripheral wall section 211 extends horizontally. The storage section 216 is formed in the space surrounded by the first peripheral wall section 211 and the pair of

end wall sections

212, 212.

The heating jacket 23 is provided to heat the storage section 216. The heating jacket 23 has a cylindrical second peripheral wall section 231 that covers the periphery of the first peripheral wall section 211. Heating steam is supplied to the heating jacket 23 from the boiler 3 through the supply piping 15. The heating steam supplied to the heating jacket 23 heats the first peripheral wall section 211 of the storage vessel 21, thereby providing heat to the workpiece in the storage section 216.

The heating steam supplied to the heating jacket 23 is condensed by heat exchange to become condensed water. This condensed water is stored in the drain recovery tank 11 through the return pipe 16 connected to the heating jacket 23. The return pipe 16 is connected from the drain recovery tank 11 to the boiler 3 via the economizer 12. The economizer 12 has the function of heating the condensed water in the return pipe 16 by using the exhaust gas of the boiler 3. The heated condensed water is used in the boiler 3. The exhaust gas from the boiler 3 passes through the economizer 12 and is purified by the dust collector 13 and the water scrubber 14. The purified exhaust gas is exhausted to the atmosphere. The boiler 3, the supply pipe 15, the steam control device 4, the heating jacket 23, the return pipe 16, the drain recovery tank 11, and the economizer 12 constitute the housing heating means H.

The agitator 22 agitates the material to be treated within the storage section 216. The agitator 22 has a plurality of agitating members 222 for agitating the material to be treated, an agitating shaft 221 to which the agitating members 222 are attached and which extends horizontally, and an electric motor 223 for rotating the agitating shaft 221. Both ends of the agitating shaft 221 are supported by a pair of

end walls

212, 212 of the storage vessel 21.

The steam control device 4 supplies steam from the boiler 3 to the heating jacket 23 as heating steam, and also supplies steam to the steam generator 5. The steam control device 4 uses various sensors to adjust the pressure and flow rate of the steam generated from the boiler 3. The steam generator 5 uses the steam to generate electricity. The generated electricity is used to drive the electric motor 223 of the agitator 22.

Although not shown in detail, in this embodiment, a steam passage is also formed inside the stirring shaft 221, and heating steam is also supplied to this passage from the steam control device 4 via the supply pipe 15. This allows the stirring shaft 221 to stir the workpiece while also heating it from the inside.

The condensation section 6 is provided to condense the steam generated from the heated workpiece in the storage section 216. The condensation section 6 has a plurality of cooling pipes 62 (see FIG. 3) inside. A cooling water flow path 17 is provided between the cooling pipes 62 and the cooling tower 7. The cooling water flowing through the cooling pipes 62 increases in temperature due to heat exchange with the steam generated from the workpiece. The cooling water whose temperature has increased is sent to the cooling tower 7 by the cooling water flow path 17 and cooled there. The cooling water circulates through the cooling water flow path 17 between the condensation section 6 and the cooling tower 7.

In the cooling tower 7, condensed water formed in the condensation section 6 from steam generated from the heated workpiece is also poured in. In other words, the condensed water generated in the condensation section 6 accumulates inside the condensation section 6 and the communication passage 18. In this embodiment, the vacuum pump 8 is connected to the condensation section 6 via the communication passage 18, and is configured to reduce the pressure in the storage section 216.

FIG. 2 is a front view showing the fermentation drying apparatus 2 of this embodiment and its surroundings. FIG. 3 is a plan view showing the fermentation drying apparatus 2 of this embodiment and its surroundings. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the storage container 21, the stirring device 22 and the heating jacket 23 of the fermentation drying apparatus 2 are installed on the floor of a building via an installation base 24. The installation base 24 is provided with a weighing scale for measuring the weight of the material to be treated that has been placed in the storage section 216.

The upper part of the longitudinal center of the storage vessel 21 is provided with an inlet 213 for the material to be treated. The material to be treated is heated by the heating jacket 23 and stirred by the rotation of the stirring shaft 221 as described above. After a predetermined time has elapsed, the fermentation product is discharged from a product discharge outlet 214 provided at the bottom of the end wall 212 of the storage vessel 21.

A communication pipe mounting area A is provided at the upper portion of the second peripheral wall portion 231 of the heating jacket 23 for mounting a communication pipe 215 that communicates with the storage portion 216 of the storage vessel 21. The communication pipe mounting area A is formed in a rectangular shape when the fermentation drying device 2 is viewed from above.

The communicating pipes 215 are provided at one end and the other end of the storage container 21 in the longitudinal direction. The pair of communicating

pipes

215, 215 are connected to the condensation section 6. The condensation section 6 has a condensation container 61, a guide pipe 63, and a connection section 64. The condensation container 61 is disposed adjacent to the storage container 21 and extends along the storage container 21. A cooling pipe 62 is provided inside the condensation container 61. The guide pipes 63 are connected to both ends of the condensation container 61. The connection section 64 connects the end of the guide pipe 63 to the end of the communicating pipe 215.

The supply pipe 15 has a first parallel pipe section 15a and a second parallel pipe section 15b which are parallel to each other. When the fermentation and drying device 2 is viewed from above, the first parallel pipe section 15a and the second parallel pipe section 15b are arranged at positions sandwiching the long sides of the rectangular connecting pipe mounting area A. The first parallel pipe section 15a and the second parallel pipe section 15b are arranged so as to extend along the cylindrical second peripheral wall section 231 of the heating jacket 23 in the axial direction of the second peripheral wall section 231. The first parallel pipe section 15a and the second parallel pipe section 15b are arranged at a height position of the upper end of the heating jacket 23. The first parallel pipe section 15a and the second parallel pipe section 15b are branched off from a single pipe of the supply pipe 15 by the branch pipe section 15c.

The branch pipe section 15c is arranged to extend horizontally perpendicular to the first parallel pipe section 15a and the second parallel pipe section 15b. When the fermentation drying device 2 is viewed in a plan view, the branch pipe section 15c is arranged along the short side of the rectangular communicating pipe mounting area A. The first parallel pipe section 15a is provided with a plurality of first end branch pipe sections 15d spaced apart at predetermined intervals in the axial direction of the first parallel pipe section 15a. The second parallel pipe section 15b is provided with a plurality of second end branch pipe sections 15e spaced apart at predetermined intervals in the axial direction of the second parallel pipe section 15b.

FIG. 4 is a front view showing the inside of the heating jacket 23 of this embodiment. In FIG. 4, the second peripheral wall portion 231 of the heating jacket 23 is cross-sectionally shown. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the essential parts of the storage vessel 21 and the heating jacket 23 of the fermentation drying apparatus 2 taken along line B-B in FIG. 3. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the essential parts of the storage vessel 21 and the heating jacket 23 of the fermentation drying apparatus 2 taken along line C-C in FIG. 4.

4 to 6, the heating jacket 23 has the second peripheral wall portion 231 and a plurality of annular steam guide members 232 arranged at predetermined intervals in the axial direction of the second peripheral wall portion 231. The steam guide members 232 are arranged so as to divide the space surrounded by the first peripheral wall portion 211 and the second peripheral wall portion 231 of the storage vessel 21 into a plurality of steam chambers R. The upper portion of the second peripheral wall portion 231 is provided with a plurality of first supply ports 231a and a plurality of second supply ports 231b for introducing heating steam corresponding to each steam chamber R. One first supply port 231a and one second supply port 231b are provided for each steam chamber R. The first supply port 231a and the second supply port 231b are arranged at positions sandwiching the long sides of the rectangular communicating pipe mounting area A when the fermentation drying apparatus 2 is viewed in a plan view. The first parallel pipe section 15a of the supply pipe 15 is connected to the first supply port 231a of each of the multiple steam chambers R by the first terminal branch pipe section 15d. The second parallel pipe section 15b of the supply pipe 15 is connected to the second supply port 231b of each of the multiple steam chambers R by the second terminal branch pipe section 15e.

The first peripheral wall portion 211, which forms the inner peripheral wall of the steam chamber R, is formed by welding multiple metal members. Specifically, the first peripheral wall portion 211 has an upper curved surface member 211a with an arc-shaped, mountain-shaped cross section, a lower curved surface member 211b with an arc-shaped, valley-shaped cross section, and a pair of intermediate

planar members

211c, 211c with linear cross sections. The plate thickness of the pair of intermediate

planar members

211c, 211c is set to be greater than the plate thickness of the upper curved surface member 211a and the lower curved surface member 211b. The first peripheral wall portion 211 is formed by welding the upper end of the intermediate planar member 211c to the lower end of the upper curved surface member 211a, and by welding the lower end of the intermediate planar member 211c to the upper end of the lower curved surface member 211b.

The second peripheral wall portion 231, which forms the outer peripheral wall of the steam chamber R, is formed by welding multiple metal members, similar to the first peripheral wall portion 211. Specifically, the second peripheral wall portion 231 has an upper curved surface member 231d with an arc-shaped cross section and a mountain-shaped cross section, a lower curved surface member 231e with an arc-shaped cross section and a valley-shaped cross section, and a pair of intermediate

planar members

231f, 231f with a linear cross section. The plate thickness of the pair of intermediate

planar members

231f, 231f is set to be greater than the plate thickness of the upper curved surface member 231d and the lower curved surface member 231e. The second peripheral wall portion 231 is formed by welding the upper end of the intermediate planar member 231f to the lower end of the upper curved surface member 231d, and by welding the lower end of the intermediate planar member 231f to the upper end of the lower curved surface member 231e.

The steam guide member 232 is a metal plate and is formed in a ring shape that roughly follows the shape of the first peripheral wall portion 211 and the second peripheral wall portion 231. The steam guide member 232 has an upper cutout 232a at its upper end portion for connecting adjacent steam chambers R. The upper cutout 232a is formed in an arc-shaped cutout shape that extends downward from the outer edge of the upper end of the steam guide member 232. The upper cutout 232a is arranged so as to be located midway between and above the first supply port 231a and the second supply port 231b when the second peripheral wall portion 231 is viewed in the axial direction. The steam guide member 232 also has a lower cutout 232b at its lower end portion for connecting adjacent steam chambers R. The lower cutout 232b is formed in an arc-shaped cutout shape that extends upward from the outer edge of the lower end of the steam guide member 232. The heating steam introduced from the first supply port 231a and the second supply port 231b generates two types of flow: a flow toward the top of the steam chamber R (in the direction of the arrow U in FIG. 4) and a flow toward the bottom of the steam chamber R (in the direction of the arrow D in FIG. 4). However, due to the effect of gravity, etc., the amount of steam flowing toward the bottom of the steam chamber R is greater than the amount of steam flowing toward the top of the steam chamber R.

The inner peripheral edge of the steam guide member 232 is attached to the outer peripheral surface of the first peripheral wall portion 211 by welding. As a result, the steam guide member 232 also functions as a reinforcing member for the storage vessel 21.

The lower end of the second peripheral wall portion 231 is provided with a plurality of water discharge ports 231c for discharging condensed water generated by condensing the heating steam. The above-mentioned first supply port 231a and second supply port 231b are provided corresponding to each of the plurality of steam chambers R. On the other hand, there are some locations where one water discharge port 231c is provided for every two steam chambers R. In other words, the number of water discharge ports 231c is less than the number of first supply ports 231a (or second supply ports 231b).

The water outlet 231c is connected to the return pipe 16. As shown in FIG. 5, the return pipe 16 near the water outlet 231c has a direct-down pipe section 16a directly below the water outlet 231c, a maintenance pipe section 16b branching off from the direct-down pipe section 16a, and a main pipe section 16d branching off from the direct-down pipe section 16a and heading toward the drain recovery tank 11. A valve 16c is attached to the outer end of the maintenance pipe section 16b. During maintenance, liquid accumulated in the steam chamber R can be discharged through the maintenance pipe section 16b before being sent to the drain recovery tank 11.

As described above, the organic waste treatment device 1 according to the embodiment includes a storage container 21 having a storage section 216 for storing organic waste, a storage section heating means H for heating the storage section 216, and an agitation device 22 having an agitation member 222 for agitating the organic waste in the storage section 216. The storage container 21 has a first peripheral wall section 211 and a pair of

end wall sections

212, 212 that close the open end of the first peripheral wall section 211. The storage section heating means H has a heating jacket 23 provided around the first peripheral wall section 211, and a supply pipe 15 for supplying heating steam from a boiler 3 that generates heating steam to the heating jacket 23. The heating jacket 23 has a cylindrical second peripheral wall section 231 that covers the periphery of the first peripheral wall section 211, and a plurality of annular steam guide members 232 arranged at predetermined intervals in the axial direction of the second peripheral wall section 231. The steam guide member 232 is arranged so as to divide the space surrounded by the first peripheral wall portion 211 and the second peripheral wall portion 231 into multiple steam chambers R. A first supply port 231a and a second supply port 231b are provided at the upper portion of the second peripheral wall portion 231 for introducing heating steam corresponding to each steam chamber R. The steam guide member 232 has an upper cutout portion 232a at the upper portion for connecting adjacent steam chambers R.

According to the above configuration, by dividing the heating jacket 23 into multiple steam chambers R, the heating steam is supplied to each steam chamber R, which has a smaller volume than when not divided, almost simultaneously. This makes it easier to distribute the heating steam throughout the heating jacket 23. Furthermore, if unevenness occurs in the position, density, temperature, or material of the workpiece contained in the storage section 216 during processing, the amount of condensation of the heating steam will change between the multiple steam chambers R. In this case, the heating steam moves from the higher steam pressure to the lower steam pressure through the upper cutout portion 232a. This naturally adjusts the steam pressure of the multiple steam chambers R to an equal state. As a result, the steam pressure and heating temperature of the heating steam can be flexibly adjusted between the multiple steam chambers R, so that the workpiece contained in the storage section 216 can be heated uniformly.

Furthermore, the first supply port 231a and second supply port 231b for introducing heating steam and the upper cutout portion 232a of the steam guide member 232 are both located at the upper part of the second peripheral wall portion 231 of the heating jacket 23. The heating steam introduced from the first supply port 231a and the second supply port 231b is temporarily stored in the upper part of the steam chamber R. Furthermore, when the heating steam moves from the upper part of the steam chamber R to the lower part of the steam chamber R, the heating steam that has accumulated in the upper part of the steam chamber R is mainly supplied. This makes it possible to respond to a temporary and sudden increase in the amount of condensation.

In addition, if a pressure difference occurs between the steam pressures of adjacent steam chambers R, R, the heating steam that has accumulated at the top of one steam chamber R moves through the upper cutout 232a to the top of the other steam chamber R. This allows smooth adjustment of the steam pressure and heating temperature of the heating steam.

In addition, by providing the upper cutout 232a in the steam guide member 232, the upper cutout 232a can be used as a buffer in the event that thermal deformation occurs in the first peripheral wall 211 of the storage vessel 21 to which the steam guide member 232 is welded. This makes it possible to prevent breakage due to thermal deformation of the welded parts of the first peripheral wall 211 and the steam guide member 232.

In the above embodiment, the upper cutout 232a is provided at the upper end of the steam guide member 232. The first supply port 231a and the second supply port 231b are provided corresponding to each of the multiple steam chambers R. Furthermore, the first supply port 231a and the second supply port 231b are arranged such that the upper cutout 232a is located midway between and above the first supply port 231a and the second supply port 231b when looking at the second peripheral wall portion 231 in the axial direction.

According to the above configuration, by introducing the heating steam into the steam chamber R from the two supply ports, the first supply port 231a and the second supply port 231b, the heating steam can be spread downward from the upper part of the steam chamber R along the two outer peripheral surfaces of the first peripheral wall portion 211 located on opposite sides. This allows the workpiece contained in the storage portion 216 to be heated more uniformly. In addition, since the upper cutout portion 232a is located above the first supply port 231a and the second supply port 231b, the upper cutout portion 232a can be positioned farther away from the lower part of the steam chamber R, where a large amount of heating steam is condensed, than the first supply port 231a and the second supply port 231b. As a result, the heating steam passing through the upper cutout portion 232a is accumulated in the upper part of the steam chamber R. This allows the timing when the same particles of heating steam move from the top to the bottom of the steam chamber R to be separated from the timing when they pass through the upper cutout 232a, allowing pressurizing steam to be supplied more smoothly to the bottom of the steam chamber R, where there is a greater amount of condensation.

In the above embodiment, the lower end of the second peripheral wall portion 231 is provided with a water outlet 231c for discharging condensed water generated by condensing the heating steam. The steam guide member 232 has a lower cutout 232b at its lower end for connecting adjacent steam chambers R, R.

The above configuration prevents condensed water from accumulating in the steam chamber R, and allows the condensed water to be discharged smoothly from the steam chamber R. Even if there is an imbalance in the amount of condensed water generated between multiple steam chambers R, the condensed water can be moved between the steam chambers R through the lower notch 232b, so the condensed water can be discharged more smoothly than if there were no lower notch 232b. In addition, the lower notch 232b paired with the upper notch 232a at the upper end of the steam guide member 232 acts as a buffer when thermal deformation occurs in the first peripheral wall 211 of the storage vessel 21, and further prevents breakage due to thermal deformation of the welded parts of the first peripheral wall 211 and the steam guide member 232.

In the above embodiment, the number of water outlets 231c is less than the number of first supply ports 231a (or second supply ports 231b).

With the above configuration, by having fewer water outlets 231c for condensed water than the first supply port 231a (or second supply port 231b) for heating steam, the resistance when the heating steam flows out from the water outlets 231c is increased, making it easier to keep the heating steam within the steam chamber R. This allows sufficient heat exchange of the heating steam. Also, manufacturing costs can be reduced compared to providing a water outlet 231c for each steam chamber R.

In the above embodiment, a communication pipe mounting area A is provided on the upper part of the second peripheral wall portion 231 for mounting a communication pipe 215 that communicates with the storage portion 216. The supply pipe 15 has a first parallel pipe portion 15a and a second parallel pipe portion 15b that extend along the second peripheral wall portion 231 in the axial direction of the second peripheral wall portion 231 and sandwich the communication pipe mounting area A in a plan view. The first parallel pipe portion 15a is connected to the first supply port 231a of each of the multiple steam chambers R by the first terminal branch pipe portion 15d. The second parallel pipe portion 15b is connected to the second supply port 231b of each of the multiple steam chambers R by the second terminal branch pipe portion 15e.

The above configuration allows the supply pipe 15 to be configured in a minimum space without interfering with the communication pipe 215 that communicates with the storage section 216 and the equipment arranged around the heating jacket 23. In addition, it is easy to introduce heating steam evenly from the first supply port 231a and the second supply port 231b to each steam chamber R.

The embodiments disclosed herein are illustrative in all respects and are not intended to be a basis for restrictive interpretation. The technical scope of the present invention is not to be interpreted solely by the above-described embodiments, but is defined based on the claims. Furthermore, the technical scope of the present invention includes all modifications that are equivalent in meaning and scope to the claims.

Industrial application fields

The present invention is applicable to organic waste treatment devices that use microorganisms to decompose the organic components of organic waste.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Processing device 2 Fermentation drying device 3 Boiler 6 Condenser section 15 Supply piping 15a First parallel tube section 15b Second parallel tube section 15d First end branch pipe section 15e Second end branch pipe section 21 Storage vessel 22 Stirring device 23 Heating jacket 211 First circumferential wall section 212 End wall section 215 Connecting pipe 216 Storage section 222 Stirring member 231 Second circumferential wall section 231a First supply port 231b Second supply port 231c Water outlet 232 Steam guide member 232a Upper cutout section 232b Lower cutout section A Connecting pipe mounting area H Storage section heating means R Steam chamber

Claims

An organic waste treatment device comprising a container having a storage section for storing organic waste, a storage section heating means for heating the storage section, and a stirring device having a stirring member for stirring the organic waste in the storage section, the device utilizing microorganisms to decompose organic components of the organic waste,
The container has a cylindrical first peripheral wall portion and a pair of end wall portions that close an open end of the first peripheral wall portion,
the housing heating means includes a heating jacket provided around the first peripheral wall portion, and a supply pipe for supplying the heating steam from a boiler that generates the heating steam to the heating jacket;
the heating jacket includes a cylindrical second peripheral wall portion that covers the periphery of the first peripheral wall portion, and a plurality of annular steam guide members that are arranged at predetermined intervals in the axial direction of the second peripheral wall portion,
The steam guide member is arranged to divide a space surrounded by the first peripheral wall portion and the second peripheral wall portion into a plurality of steam chambers,
A supply port for introducing the heating steam is provided in an upper portion of the second peripheral wall portion corresponding to each of the steam chambers,
The steam guide member has an upper cutout portion at an upper portion for communicating the adjacent steam chambers.
1. An organic waste treatment device comprising:
The upper cutout portion is provided at an upper end portion of the steam guide member,
the supply port includes a first supply port and a second supply port,
The first supply port and the second supply port are provided corresponding to each of the plurality of steam chambers, and are arranged such that the upper cutout portion is located midway between and above the first supply port and the second supply port when the second peripheral wall portion is viewed in the axial direction.
2. The organic waste treatment device according to claim 1 .
A water outlet is provided at a lower end of the second peripheral wall portion to discharge condensed water generated by condensing the heating steam,
The steam guide member has a lower cutout portion at a lower end portion for communicating adjacent steam chambers.
3. The organic waste treatment device according to claim 2 .
The number of the water outlets is less than the number of the water inlets.
4. The organic waste treatment device according to claim 3.
A communication pipe mounting area for mounting a communication pipe that communicates with the storage portion is provided on an upper portion of the second peripheral wall portion,
the supply pipe includes a first parallel supply pipe portion and a second parallel supply pipe portion that extend along the second peripheral wall portion in an axial direction of the second peripheral wall portion and sandwich the communicating pipe attachment area in a plan view,
the first parallel supply pipe section is connected to the first supply ports of each of the plurality of steam chambers by a first terminal branch pipe section;
the second parallel supply pipe section is connected to the second supply ports of each of the plurality of steam chambers by a second terminal branch pipe section;
5. The organic waste treatment device according to claim 2, wherein the organic waste treatment device is a device for treating organic waste.