Fermentative treatment device

Abstract

To provide a fermentative treatment device that can eject water accumulating in an air feed pipe.SOLUTION: A fermentative treatment device 1 according to the present invention is provided with: a floor part 2 which has a placement surface 21 on which organic waste W is placed and groove parts 22 formed on the placement surface 21; air feed pipes 3 in cylindrical shapes, arranged in the groove parts 22, which include a plurality of blowoff ports 32 to which air is supplied from one ends 33 and which blows off air toward the organic waste W; and an air supply part 4 that supplies air from the one ends 33 of the air feed pipes 3, which is further provided with cylindrical relay pipes 5, arranged to connect the one ends 33 of the air feed pipes 3 to the air supply part 4, through which air supplied from the air supply part 4 is fed to the air feed pipes 3, an ejection port 7, provided at any position of the relay pipe 5, which ejects water accumulating in the air feed pipes 3 to the outside, and a switching valve 8 that can switch between a closing state where the ejection port 7 is closed and an opening state where the ejection port 7 is opened.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a fermentation treatment apparatus. [Background technology]

[0002] Organic fertilizers (compost, etc.) are produced by fermenting organic waste such as livestock manure and food waste while stirring them with a stirrer. In recent years, in order to increase the efficiency of such fermentation, it has become mainstream to carry out primary fermentation treatment with the aim of lowering the moisture content of the organic waste in advance (for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] In the primary fermentation process, organic waste containing a lot of moisture is piled up in a special pile-up tank, and air is forcefully supplied to the organic waste from below. In the primary fermentation process, the organic waste is not stirred or turned over by a stirrer or the like, and the organic waste is fermented while it is piled up in the pile-up tank, mixing in dry materials as necessary. An air pipe with multiple nozzles is arranged on the floor of the pile-up tank, and when air is supplied from a blower to the air pipe, the air is sprayed from each nozzle toward the organic waste, so that air is efficiently supplied into the organic waste.

[0004] When air is supplied to the organic waste in this way, the fermentation decomposition of the aerobic microorganisms in the organic waste is promoted, and a large amount of heat (fermentation heat) is generated along with the fermentation decomposition. In the primary fermentation treatment, the water content in the organic waste can be reduced by the action of the heat (fermentation heat) thus generated and the air forcefully supplied. The primary fermentation treatment is generally carried out for about one week to ten days. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] JP 2022-127110 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] During the primary fermentation process, the blower may be stopped and the air ejection from the nozzle may be stopped. In such a case, the moisture contained in the accumulated organic waste may move downward, and some of the moisture may enter the air pipe from the nozzle and accumulate in the air pipe. If the blower is operated with moisture accumulated in the air pipe, the moisture in the air pipe is pushed by the air flowing through the air pipe and ejected from the nozzle, and returned to the organic waste. If the moisture accumulated in the air pipe is returned to the organic waste in this way, the fermentation efficiency may decrease, and it may take a long time to reduce the moisture content of the organic waste.

[0007] An object of the present invention is to provide a fermentation treatment apparatus capable of discharging moisture accumulated in an air supply pipe. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The means for solving the above problems are as follows. <1> a cylindrical air supply pipe disposed within the groove, having one end to which air is supplied and including a plurality of outlets for spraying air toward the organic waste; and an air supply unit for supplying air from the one end of the air supply pipe, the fermentation treatment apparatus comprising: a cylindrical relay pipe disposed to connect the one end of the air supply pipe and the air supply unit and for sending the air supplied from the air supply unit to the air supply pipe; an exhaust port disposed at any position of the relay pipe for exhausting water accumulated in the air supply pipe to the outside; and a switching valve switchable between a closed state that blocks the exhaust port and an open state that opens the exhaust port.

[0009] <2> The switching valve is switched so as to be in a closed state when the air supply unit is operating and to be in an open state when the air supply unit is stopped. <1> The fermentation treatment apparatus according to claim 1.

[0010] <3> The water discharged from the outlet is stored in a storage tank provided below the outlet. <1> or <2> The fermentation treatment apparatus according to claim 1.

[0011] <4> The air supply pipe is disposed in the groove in a state inclined downward toward the relay pipe. <1> ~ <3> 13. A fermentation treatment apparatus according to any one of the above. Effect of the Invention

[0012] According to the present invention, a fermentation treatment apparatus capable of discharging moisture accumulated in an air supply pipe can be provided. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a schematic cross-sectional configuration of the front side of a fermentation treatment apparatus according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a schematic cross-sectional configuration of a side surface of a fermentation treatment apparatus according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 3] A top view showing a schematic diagram of an air supply mechanism in a fermentation treatment device. [Figure 4] A top view showing the structure of the rear part of the fermentation treatment device. [Diagram 5] A schematic diagram illustrating a state in which moisture contained in organic waste has entered the air supply pipe in a fermentation treatment device when the air supply unit is stopped. [Figure 6] A schematic diagram showing how moisture inside the air supply pipe, etc. is discharged to the outside from the exhaust port when the switching valve is open. [Figure 7] FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing a schematic cross-sectional configuration of a portion of an exhaust pipe used in another embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing a schematic view of a portion of an exhaust pipe used in another embodiment; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0014] <Embodiment 1> A fermentation treatment apparatus 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to Fig. 1 to Fig. 6. Fig. 1 is an explanatory diagram that shows a schematic cross-sectional configuration of the front side of the fermentation treatment apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment, Fig. 2 is an explanatory diagram that shows a schematic cross-sectional configuration of the side side of the fermentation treatment apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment, and Fig. 3 is a top view that shows a schematic view of an air supply mechanism 6 in the fermentation treatment apparatus 1.

[0015] The fermentation treatment device 1 is a device that performs a primary fermentation treatment, and intermittently supplies air to the inside (inside the pile) of the organic waste W. Examples of the organic waste W that is treated by the fermentation treatment device 1 include livestock manure (e.g., chicken manure, cow manure, pig manure, horse manure, etc.), food waste, etc.

[0016] The primary fermentation treatment of the organic waste W is a treatment carried out in advance to reduce the moisture content (moisture content) of the organic waste W before the fermentation treatment (secondary fermentation) carried out in a fermentation treatment plant equipped with a stirrer, and is usually carried out for about one week. The fermentation treatment device 1 of this embodiment is installed, for example, near the fermentation treatment plant.

[0017] 1 and 2, such a fermentation treatment apparatus 1 mainly comprises a bed section 2, an air supply pipe 3, an air supply section 4, a relay pipe 5, an exhaust port 7, and a switching valve 8. The air supply mechanism 6 mainly comprises the air supply pipe 3, the air supply section 4, the relay pipe 5, etc.

[0018] The floor 2 is the floor of the primary fermentation tank (storage tank) and has a placement surface 21 on which the organic waste W is placed, and a number of grooves 22 provided in the placement surface 21. The placement surface 21, which is the upper surface of the floor 2, is generally flat and has a rectangular (rectangular) shape in a plan view. The organic waste W is placed on this placement surface 21 in a piled-up form. A wall 23 is erected on the periphery of the floor 2 (placement surface 21). The wall 23 is part of the primary fermentation tank and has a predetermined height. Such a wall 23 is provided to surround the organic waste W placed on the placement surface 21 from three sides to prevent the organic waste W from spreading to the outside. 2, the front side of the primary fermentation tank is open with no wall 23 erected on the floor 2 (mounting surface 21), and this portion serves as an entrance / exit 24 for carrying in and out the organic waste W. If necessary, the primary fermentation tank may be provided with a roof (rain cover) that covers the floor 2 (mounting surface 21) from above.

[0019] Groove portion 22 has a recessed shape recessed downward from mounting surface 21, and is provided along the front-to-rear direction of fermentation treatment apparatus 1 (left-to-right direction in FIG. 2). A plurality of groove portions 22 are provided on mounting surface 21, and they are arranged in parallel with each other while maintaining a distance between them. One end of groove portion 22 extending in the front-to-rear direction is arranged on the side of wall portion 23 erected on the rear side of floor portion 2, and the other end is arranged on the front side of floor portion 2 (the side of entrance / exit 24). Air supply pipe 3 is arranged to be housed in groove portion 22.

[0020] The air supply pipe 3 includes a main body 31 made of a cylindrical pipe made of a synthetic resin such as polyvinyl chloride, and a plurality of nozzles 32 provided on the peripheral wall of the main body 31. In the present embodiment, there are a plurality of air supply pipes 3, each of which is disposed in the groove 22 one by one. The air supply pipes 3 are housed in the groove 22 with one end 33 disposed on the inner side (outside the primary fermentation tank) of the floor 2 and the other end (the other end) 34 disposed on the inner side (the entrance / exit 24 side) of the floor 2. The air supply pipes 3 are arranged in parallel to each other while maintaining a distance therebetween when housed in the groove 22. One end 33 of each air supply pipe 3 (main body 31) is exposed to the outside from the vicinity of the lower part of the inner wall 23, and is connected to the relay pipe 5. In other words, the air supply pipes 3 and the relay pipe 5 communicate with each other. One end (the end on the wall 23 side) of the groove 22 that accommodates the air pipe 3 is closed so that no gap is formed around one end 33 of the air pipe 3 near the lower side of the wall 23. In contrast, an end cap (not shown) is fitted to the other end 34 of each air pipe 3 (main body 31). As the air pipe 3, for example, a perforated pipe that is commercially available as a civil engineering drainage material may be used.

[0021] The outlet 32 ​​is for blowing air toward the organic waste W placed on the placement surface 21, and is a hole provided in the peripheral wall of the main body 31. The outlet 32 ​​is provided in the upper part of the peripheral wall of the main body 31 that is exposed from the groove 22. A plurality of outlets 32 are provided for the main body 31 of one air supply pipe 3. The plurality of outlets 32 are provided so as to be aligned at approximately equal intervals along the longitudinal direction of the main body 31. As described later, the air supply pipe 3 may be provided with the outlets 32 not only in the upper part of the main body 31 that is exposed from the groove 22, but also in other parts such as the side part of the main body 31. The shape of the outlet 32 ​​is not particularly limited as long as it does not impair the object of the present invention, and may be a circle or an ellipse in a plan view, or a polygonal shape such as a square.

[0022] When air is supplied to the air supply pipe 3 from one end 33 with the other end 34 closed, the air is ejected from each of the ejection ports 32 .

[0023] The relay pipe 5 is disposed so as to connect one end 33 of the air supply pipe 3 (main body 31) to the air supply unit 4, and is a cylindrical member that sends air supplied from the air supply unit 4 to the air supply pipe 3. The relay pipe 5 includes a longitudinal first relay section 51 that connects to a plurality of air supply pipes 3, and a second relay section 52 that connects the first relay section 51 to the air supply unit 4. In the case of this embodiment, the relay pipe 5 is disposed on the outside of the wall section 23 of the primary fermentation tank that is erected on the far side of the floor section 2.

[0024] The first relay section 51 is composed of a longitudinal tubular member extending along the left-right direction of the fermentation treatment apparatus 1 outside the primary fermenter. One ends 33 of the multiple air supply pipes 3 are connected to the first relay section 51 in the longitudinal direction so as to be arranged at approximately equal intervals from each other. One end (one end) 53 of the first relay section 51 is disposed on the left side when the fermentation treatment apparatus 1 is viewed from the front side, and is closed by fitting an end cap (not shown). In contrast, the other end (the other end) 54 of the first relay section 51 is open, and this opening portion serves as the discharge outlet 7.

[0025] The outlet 7 is used to discharge water accumulated in the air supply pipe 3, etc., to the outside. This outlet 7 can be switched between a closed state and an open state by a changeover valve 8 provided on the other end 54 side of the first relay section 51. The closed state of the outlet 7 is a state in which the outlet 7 is blocked. The open state of the outlet 7 is a state in which the outlet 7 is opened. The changeover valve 8 may be a manual valve that is manually switched between an open state and a closed state, or may be an automatic valve that is electrically driven, such as a solenoid valve or an electric valve.

[0026] The second relay portion 52 is made of a tubular member that connects the first relay portion 51 and the air supply portion 4. In the case of this embodiment, the second relay portion 52 has an overall L-shaped bent shape. One end 52a of such a second relay portion 52 is connected to the air supply port 4a of the air supply portion 4, and the other end 52b of the second relay portion 52 is connected to the first relay portion 51. In addition, in the case of this embodiment, the other end 52b of the second relay portion 52 is connected to the vicinity of the center of the first relay portion 51.

[0027] FIG. 4 is a top view showing a schematic configuration of the rear part of the fermentation treatment apparatus 1. For convenience of explanation, in FIG. 4, a wall 23 erected on the periphery of the floor 2 is shown by a two-dot chain line. As shown in FIG. 4, a drainage tank 9 for storing water discharged from the drainage port 7 is provided below the discharge port 7. The drainage tank 9 is provided by digging into the ground (floor) outside the primary fermentation tank, and prevents the water discharged from the drainage port 7 from flowing out in various directions along the ground (so-called overflow). The switching valve 8 shown in FIG. 4 is in a closed state, and the discharge port 7 is blocked.

[0028] In this embodiment, a drain 10 is provided below the first relay section 51 of the relay pipe 5. The drain 10 is provided by digging into the ground (floor surface) outside the primary fermentation tank. The drain 10 extends in the left-right direction of the fermentation treatment device 1, and one end of the drain 10 is connected to the drain tank 9. Most of the moisture that seeps out from the organic waste W on the placement surface 21 is collected in the groove 22 provided in the floor 2.

[0029] The air supply unit 4 is made of a blower equipped with rotors driven by a motor, and draws in air (outside air) from a suction port by the action of the rotors, and supplies the drawn-in air from an air supply port (air supply port) 4a through a relay pipe 5 (second relay section 52) to each air supply pipe 3 by applying a predetermined pressure to the air supply port. In this way, the air supply unit 4 supplies air from one end (one end) 33 side of the air supply pipe 3.

[0030] The air supply unit (blower) 4 is electrically connected to an externally installed power source (for example, voltage 200 V) via an electric wire. A switch (not shown) for controlling the on / off of the air supply unit (blower) 4 is provided midway along the electric wire. The air supply unit 4 of this embodiment is fixed on an installation stand 41 adjusted to a predetermined height.

[0031] Here, the primary fermentation treatment of organic waste W using the fermentation treatment apparatus 1 of this embodiment will be described. First, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the organic waste W is placed on the placement surface 21 of the floor 2 of the primary fermentation tank. The organic waste W in this state contains a relatively large amount of moisture. Air is supplied to the organic waste W piled up on the placement surface 21 from below using the air supply mechanism 6 shown in Fig. 3 and the like. As described above, the air supply mechanism 6 includes the air supply pipe 3, the air supply unit 4, the relay pipe 5, and the like, and by operating the air supply unit 4, air is blown out from each outlet of the air supply pipe 3 toward the organic waste W. At this time, the switching valve 8 provided at the end (other end) 54 of the first relay part 51 included in the relay pipe 5 is in a closed state as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, and the end (other end) 54 of the first relay part 51 is closed.

[0032] The supply of air to the organic waste W is performed intermittently depending on the temperature, moisture content, etc. of the organic waste W. For example, the air supply unit 4 is operated for a predetermined time t1 (e.g., 1 to 30 minutes) to supply air to the organic waste W, and then the air supply unit 4 is stopped to stop the supply of air to the organic waste W for a predetermined time t2 (e.g., 5 to 60 minutes).

[0033] When the air supply unit 4 is stopped as described above, moisture contained in the organic waste W may enter the air supply pipe 3 installed in the groove 22 of the floor section 2 from the nozzle 32. As described above, most of the moisture that seeps out from the organic waste W enters and accumulates in the groove 22, but some moisture enters the air supply pipe 3 from the nozzle 32 and accumulates in the air supply pipe 3. Figure 5 is an explanatory diagram that shows a schematic diagram of the state in which moisture contained in the organic waste W has entered the air supply pipe 3 in the fermentation treatment device 1 with the air supply unit 4 stopped. Note that Figure 5 shows a cross-sectional configuration of the fermentation treatment device 1 corresponding to Figure 2.

[0034] As shown in Fig. 5, each of the nozzles 32 of the air supply pipe 3 (main body 31) is provided facing upward, so that when the air supply unit 4 is stopped, some of the moisture B contained in the organic waste W may enter the air supply pipe 3 from the nozzles 32. If the air supply unit 4 is operated with moisture accumulated in the air supply pipe 3, the moisture is pushed by the air supplied into the air supply pipe 3 and sprayed from the nozzles 32 toward the organic waste W, reducing the fermentation efficiency of the organic waste. Therefore, in this embodiment, before operating the air supply unit 4, with the air supply unit 4 stopped, the switching valve 8 is opened to open the exhaust port 7, so that the moisture B accumulated in the air supply pipe 3 and relay pipe 5 (first relay pipe 51, etc.) is discharged from the exhaust port 7.

[0035] Fig. 6 is an explanatory diagram that shows a schematic diagram of the state in which the changeover valve 8 is opened and moisture B inside the air supply pipe 3, etc. is discharged to the outside from the discharge port 7. Fig. 6 shows the configuration of the rear part of the fermentation treatment apparatus 1 corresponding to Fig. 4. As shown in Fig. 6, in the case of this embodiment, the changeover valve 8 is switched from a closed state to an open state by an operator manually rotating a lever 81 provided on the changeover valve 8 in a predetermined direction (arrow in Fig. 6). Note that the changeover valve 8 that is open can be returned to a closed state by rotating the lever 81 in the opposite direction.

[0036] In this manner, in the fermentation treatment apparatus 1 of the present embodiment, when the air supply unit 4 is stopped, the switching valve 8 is opened and the moisture B accumulated inside the air supply pipe 3, etc. can be discharged to the outside from the exhaust port 7. Such discharge of moisture B from the exhaust port 7 is performed appropriately as necessary. Furthermore, the moisture B may be periodically discharged from the exhaust port 7 every time the air supply unit 4 is stopped.

[0037] In the primary fermentation treatment using the fermentation treatment apparatus 1 of this embodiment, after a predetermined number of residence days, the supply of air to the organic waste W is stopped and the organic waste W in the primary fermentation tank is discharged to the outside.

[0038] <Other embodiments> The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above and illustrated in the drawings, and the following embodiments, for example, are also included within the technical scope of the present invention.

[0039] (1) An automatic valve such as a solenoid valve may be used as the switching valve 8, and the opening and closing of the switching valve may be controlled based on instructions from a control panel (control device) provided in the fermentation treatment apparatus. For example, the switching valve may be controlled to open and close based on instructions from the control panel so that the switching valve is closed when the air supply unit is operating and is closed when the air supply unit is stopped.

[0040] (2) In another embodiment of the fermentation treatment apparatus, as shown in FIG. 7, the air supply pipe 3 may be arranged in the groove section 22 at a gentle slope downward toward the relay pipe 5 so that the water B in the air supply pipe 3 can easily flow under its own weight toward the relay pipe 5 (first relay section 51).

[0041] (3) As long as it does not impair the objective of the present invention, the outlet may be at the end of the longitudinal relay pipe 5 (first intermediate section 51) or may be provided in a manner penetrating the peripheral wall on the central side of the relay pipe 5 (first relay section 51).

[0042] (4) In another embodiment, the switching valve may be a removable cap that closes the outlet (opening) at the end of the relay pipe (first relay section).

[0043] (5) In another embodiment, as shown in Fig. 8, for example, the air supply pipe 3A may have a main body 31A made of a cylindrical pipe arranged in a substantially horizontal direction, and multiple outlets may be provided not only on the upper part but also on the side and bottom (lower part). These outlets also function as intake ports for taking in moisture accumulated in the groove 22 into the air supply pipe 3A when the air supply mechanism is stopped. The moisture taken in from the outlet 32 ​​passes through the air supply pipe 3A and is finally discharged to the outside from the exhaust port. [Explanation of symbols]

[0044] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1...Fermentation treatment device, 2...Floor of primary fermentation tank, 21...Placement surface, 22...Groove, 23...Wall, 24...Inlet / outlet, 3...Air pipe, 31...Main body, 32...Outlet, 33...One end (one end) of air pipe, 34...Other end (other end) of air pipe, 4...Air supply section, 41...Installation base, 5...Relay pipe, 51...First relay section, 52...Second relay section, 6...Air supply mechanism, 7...Exhaust port, 8...Switching valve, 9...Drain tank, 10...Drain groove

Claims

1. A floor portion having a placement surface on which organic waste is placed and a groove portion provided on the placement surface; an air pipe having a cylindrical shape disposed within the groove, having one end to which air is supplied and including a plurality of air outlets for blowing air toward the organic waste; an air supply unit that supplies air from the one end side of the air supply pipe, a cylindrical relay pipe arranged to connect the one end of the air supply pipe and the air supply unit and to send air supplied from the air supply unit to the air supply pipe; an outlet provided at any position of the relay pipe for discharging water accumulated in the air supply pipe to the outside; A fermentation treatment apparatus comprising a switching valve that can be switched between a closed state in which the discharge outlet is blocked and an open state in which the discharge outlet is opened.

2. 2. The fermentation treatment apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the switching valve is switched so as to be in a closed state when the air supply unit is operating and to be in an open state when the air supply unit is stopped.

3. 3. The fermentation treatment apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a storage tank provided below the discharge port for storing the water discharged from the discharge port.

4. 3. The fermentation treatment apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the air supply pipe is disposed in the groove so as to be inclined downward toward the relay pipe.

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