Fertilizer production method, information processing device, and fertilizer production program

The method ionizes phosphorus, nitrogen, and potassium components from organic wastewater to create a fertilizer that enhances plant growth, addressing absorption inefficiencies and resource depletion, suitable for hydroponic and organic agriculture.

JP2025009538AActive Publication Date: 2025-01-20PLANTFORM INC +1
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Patent Information

Application Number
JP2023112612
Authority / Receiving Office
JP · JP
Patent Type
Applications
Current Assignee / Owner
Filing Date
2023-07-07
Publication Date
2025-01-20
Estimated Expiration
2043-07-07

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

Existing fertilizers do not effectively enhance plant growth due to inefficient absorption of phosphorus components, and their production often relies on mineral resources that may be depleted, limiting their use in hydroponic cultivation and organic agriculture.

Method used

A method that ionizes phosphorus, nitrogen, and potassium components from organic wastewater using biological and physical processes, producing a fertilizer that can be used in hydroponic cultivation without chemical fertilizers, and includes a control device for precise mixing ratios.

Benefits of technology

The method produces a fertilizer that promotes plant growth efficiently, reduces production time, and conserves mineral resources, enabling hydroponic cultivation and organic agriculture without relying on chemical fertilizers.

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Abstract

To provide a fertilizer production method, an information processing device, and a fertilizer production program, capable of producing a fertilizer that can promote growth of plants.SOLUTION: A fertilizer production method includes the steps of: extracting, from organic wastewater including a phosphorus component, a nitrogen component, and potassium component, a first solution including at least the phosphorus component, a second solution including at least the nitrogen component, and a third solution including at least the potassium component; ionizing the phosphorus component included in the first solution; and producing a fertilizer from at least one of the first solution including the ionized phosphorus component, the extracted second solution, and the extracted third solution.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1
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Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a fertilizer production method, an information processing device, and a fertilizer production program. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, a technology has emerged that produces organic fertilizer (hereinafter simply referred to as fertilizer) that can be used in plant cultivation by using organic wastewater (hereinafter simply referred to as organic wastewater) such as fish waste discharged from fish farming tanks (hereinafter simply referred to as fish farming tanks) (see Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2019-131432 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the above technical fields, for example, it is desirable to produce a fertilizer that can further promote plant growth. Specifically, for example, it is desirable to produce a fertilizer that can improve the absorbability of the fertilizer by plants. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The fertilizer production method disclosed herein includes the steps of extracting a first solution containing at least the phosphorus component, a second solution containing at least the nitrogen component, and a third solution containing at least the potassium component from organic wastewater containing a phosphorus component, a nitrogen component, and a potassium component, respectively, ionizing the phosphorus component contained in the first solution, and producing a fertilizer from at least one of the first solution containing the ionized phosphorus component, the extracted second solution, and the extracted third solution. Effect of the Invention

[0006] According to the fertilizer production method of the present disclosure, it is possible to produce fertilizer capable of promoting plant growth. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of a fertilizer production system 100 in the first embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the hardware configuration of the control device 10. As shown in FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating the function of the control device 10. As shown in FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a flow chart illustrating the fertilizer production control in the first embodiment. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining a specific example of the mixture ratio information DT. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of a fertilizer production system 200 in the second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0008] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. However, such descriptions should not be interpreted in a limiting sense and do not limit the subject matter described in the claims. In addition, various changes, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. In addition, different embodiments can be appropriately combined.

[0009] [Fertilizer production system 100 according to the first embodiment] First, a configuration of a fertilizer production system 100 in the first embodiment will be described. Fig. 1 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of a fertilizer production system 100 in the first embodiment.

[0010] The fertilizer production system 100 is a system that produces fertilizer (liquid fertilizer) from, for example, organic wastewater discharged from an aquaculture tank (not shown). The organic wastewater is, for example, wastewater that contains fish feed (leftover food) and excrement in the aquaculture tank. Hereinafter, the method of producing fertilizer in the fertilizer production system 100 is also referred to as a fertilizer production method.

[0011] Specifically, as shown in FIG. 1, the fertilizer production system 100 includes, for example, a filtration device 1, an ionization device 2, an ion concentrating device 3, a storage tank T0, a storage tank T1, a storage tank T2, a storage tank T3, a storage tank T4, and a storage tank T5.

[0012] The storage tank T0 stores, for example, organic wastewater discharged from an aquaculture tank. Specifically, a pump (not shown) provided in a pipe (not shown) that communicates between the aquaculture tank and the storage tank T0 continuously supplies, for example, the organic wastewater stored in the aquaculture tank to the storage tank T0. The storage tank T0 then sequentially stores, for example, the organic wastewater supplied by the pump.

[0013] The organic wastewater supplied from the aquaculture tank (organic wastewater stored in storage tank T0) is a liquid containing, for example, phosphorus, potassium, and nitrogen components. Specifically, the phosphorus components contained in the organic wastewater include, for example, insoluble phosphorus components. The potassium components contained in the organic wastewater include, for example, ionized potassium components (hereinafter also simply referred to as potassium ions). Furthermore, the nitrogen components contained in the organic wastewater include, for example, ionized nitrate components (hereinafter also simply referred to as nitrate ions).

[0014] The filtration device 1 performs ultrafiltration of the organic wastewater supplied from the storage tank T0 via the line L1, for example, by using a filtration membrane (not shown). The line L1 is, for example, a pipe that connects the storage tank T0 and the filtration device 1.

[0015] Specifically, a pump (not shown) provided on line L1 continuously supplies, for example, organic wastewater stored in a storage tank T0 to the filtration device 1. Then, the filtration device 1 separates the supplied organic wastewater into a liquid containing a potassium component and a nitric acid component (hereinafter also referred to as a membrane permeate) and a liquid containing a phosphorus component and sludge (hereinafter also referred to as a phosphorus concentrated liquid or a first solution) by, for example, performing ultrafiltration on the organic wastewater supplied by the pump. That is, the filtration device 1 extracts, for example, the liquid that has permeated the filtration membrane as the membrane permeate, and the liquid that has not permeated the filtration membrane as the phosphorus concentrated liquid.

[0016] The ionization device 2 ionizes, for example, phosphorus components contained in the phosphorus concentrate supplied from the filtration device 1 via a line L2. The line L2 is, for example, a pipe that connects the filtration device 1 and the ionization device 2.

[0017] Here, the ionization device 2 may be one that ionizes the phosphorus component contained in the phosphorus concentrated solution by, for example, biological treatment.

[0018] Specifically, the ionization device 2 may be one that accumulates phosphorus under aerobic conditions using, for example, phosphorus-accumulating bacteria, and further releases phosphoric acid under anaerobic conditions, thereby recovering phosphate ions (hereinafter, also simply referred to as phosphate ions), which are ionized phosphorus components. The ionization device 2 may be one that recovers phosphate ions, which are ionized phosphorus components, by converting phytic acid in a sludge component contained in the phosphorus concentrated liquid into phosphoric acid, for example, using phytase-producing bacteria.

[0019] As a result, the ionization device 2 can, for example, reduce the cost required for recovering phosphate ions and can reduce the amount of sludge generated. Also, the ionization device 2 can, for example, improve the recovery rate of phosphate ions.

[0020] The ionization device 2 may be a device that dissolves phosphate ions from the sludge contained in the phosphorus concentrated liquid by physically crushing the sludge.

[0021] Specifically, the ionization device 2 may be a device that uses, for example, a grinder, an ultrasonic irradiation device, or the like to break down the sludge contained in the phosphorus concentrated liquid into fine particles, thereby recovering phosphate ions eluted from the sludge.

[0022] This enables the ionization device 2 to stably collect, for example, phosphate ions.

[0023] The ionization device 2 may combine biological treatment and pulverization. The ionization device 2 may collect phosphate ions by biological treatment or pulverization of sludge, and then concentrate the phosphate ions by, for example, dialysis or electrodialysis.

[0024] The storage tank T1 stores, for example, the phosphorus concentrated liquid supplied from the ionization device 2 via a line L3. The line L3 is, for example, a pipe that connects the ionization device 2 and the storage tank T1. Specifically, a pump (not shown) provided in the line L3 continuously supplies, for example, the phosphorus concentrated liquid supplied from the ionization device 2 to the storage tank T1. Then, the storage tank T1 sequentially stores, for example, the phosphorus concentrated liquid supplied by the pump.

[0025] The ion concentrator 3 extracts a liquid containing nitrate ions, which are anions (hereinafter also referred to as nitric acid concentrate or second solution) and a liquid containing potassium ions, which are cations (hereinafter also referred to as potassium concentrate or third solution) by applying a voltage to the membrane permeate supplied from the filtration device 1 via line L5, for example. That is, the nitric acid concentrate is, for example, a liquid having a higher concentration of nitrate ions than the phosphorus concentrate or potassium concentrate, and the potassium concentrate is, for example, a liquid having a higher concentration of potassium ions than the phosphorus concentrate or nitric acid concentrate. Also, the phosphorus concentrate is, for example, a liquid having a higher concentration of phosphate ions than the potassium concentrate or nitric acid concentrate.

[0026] Specifically, the ion concentrator 3 has, for example, a flow path (not shown) through which the membrane permeate liquid supplied from the filtration device 1 flows, and a pair of electrodes (not shown) provided on either side of the flow path. The ion concentrator 3 generates a potential difference between the pair of electrodes, for example, by using a direct current power source (not shown), and moves potassium ions (cations) contained in the dissolved ions of the membrane permeate liquid flowing through the flow path to the negative electrode side, and moves nitrate ions (anions) contained in the dissolved ions of the membrane permeate liquid flowing through the flow path to the positive electrode side. After that, the ion concentrator 3 extracts, for example, a potassium concentrated solution containing the potassium ions that have moved to the negative electrode side, and a nitric acid concentrated solution containing the nitrate ions that have moved to the positive electrode side. The ion concentrator 3 may extract each solution by, for example, a method similar to that of a known dissolved ion analysis system.

[0027] The ion concentrator 3 may be configured to use, for example, a resin capable of adsorbing cations (hereinafter also referred to as a first resin) to adsorb potassium ions (cations) contained in the dissolved ions of the membrane permeate flowing through the flow path onto the first resin, and to extract a potassium concentrate containing the potassium ions adsorbed onto the first resin, and a nitric acid concentrate containing nitrate ions not adsorbed onto the first resin. The ion concentrator 3 may be configured to use, for example, a resin capable of adsorbing anions (hereinafter also referred to as a second resin) to adsorb nitrate ions (anions) contained in the dissolved ions of the membrane permeate flowing through the flow path onto the second resin, and to extract a nitric acid concentrate containing the nitrate ions adsorbed onto the second resin, and a potassium concentrate containing potassium ions not adsorbed onto the second resin.

[0028] The storage tank T2 stores, for example, the nitric acid concentrate supplied from the ion concentrator 3 via the line L6. The line L6 is, for example, a pipe that connects the ion concentrator 3 and the storage tank T2. Specifically, a pump (not shown) provided in the line L6 continuously supplies, for example, the nitric acid concentrate supplied from the ion concentrator 3 to the storage tank T2. Then, the storage tank T2 sequentially stores, for example, the nitric acid concentrate supplied by the pump.

[0029] The storage tank T3 stores, for example, the potassium concentrated solution supplied from the ion concentrator 3 via a line L7. The line L7 is, for example, a pipe that connects the ion concentrator 3 and the storage tank T3. Specifically, a pump (not shown) provided in the line L7 continuously supplies, for example, the potassium concentrated solution supplied from the ion concentrator 3 to the storage tank T3. Then, the storage tank T3 sequentially stores, for example, the potassium concentrated solution supplied by the pump.

[0030] The storage tank T4 stores, for example, waste liquid supplied from the ion concentrator 3 via the line L8. The waste liquid is, for example, organic wastewater after the nitric acid concentrate and potassium concentrate are extracted in the ion concentrator 3. The line L8 is, for example, a pipe connecting the ion concentrator 3 and the storage tank T4. Specifically, a pump (not shown) provided in the line L8 continuously supplies, for example, the waste liquid supplied from the ion concentrator 3 to the storage tank T4. The storage tank T4 sequentially stores, for example, the waste liquid supplied by the pump.

[0031] The storage tank T5 stores a mixed liquid (fertilizer) of, for example, a phosphorus concentrate supplied from the storage tank T1 via a line L4, a nitric acid concentrate supplied from the storage tank T2 via a line L9, and a potassium concentrate supplied from the storage tank T3 via a line L10. The line L4 is, for example, a pipe connecting the storage tank T1 and the storage tank T5. The line L9 is, for example, a pipe connecting the storage tank T2 and the storage tank T5. The line L10 is, for example, a pipe connecting the storage tank T3 and the storage tank T5.

[0032] That is, the storage tank T5 stores a fertilizer produced by mixing, for example, a phosphorus concentrate, a nitric acid concentrate, and a potassium concentrate according to a predetermined mixing ratio. The predetermined mixing ratio is determined, for example, by the type of plant for which the produced fertilizer is to be used.

[0033] In this manner, in the fertilizer production method of the present embodiment, for example, insoluble phosphorus components contained in organic wastewater are ionized in advance before producing fertilizer (organic fertilizer). Specifically, in the fertilizer production method of the present embodiment, for example, the phosphorus components contained in organic wastewater are ionized in advance by performing biological treatment or physical crushing treatment of sludge.

[0034] As a result, the fertilizer production method of the present embodiment makes it possible to produce a fertilizer that requires less time to produce an effect than a fertilizer that performs ionization (mineralization) using microorganisms, fungi, or the like (hereinafter simply referred to as microorganisms, etc.). Therefore, the fertilizer production method of the present embodiment makes it possible to produce a fertilizer that can further promote plant growth, for example.

[0035] Furthermore, the fertilizer production method of the present embodiment does not require ionization by microorganisms, for example, and therefore makes it possible to produce a fertilizer that does not contain microorganisms, etc. Therefore, the fertilizer production method of the present embodiment makes it possible to produce not only a fertilizer that can be used in soil cultivation, but also a fertilizer that can be used in hydroponic cultivation (hereinafter simply referred to as hydroponic cultivation) carried out in a plant factory that requires sterilization management.

[0036] In this regard, in hydroponic cultivation using conventional fertilizers, for example, the use of pre-ionized chemical fertilizers is required due to the need to resolve insufficient absorption of phosphorus components caused by the lack of ionization of phosphorus components. Furthermore, the phosphorus used in chemical fertilizers depends on, for example, mineral resources, and there are concerns about the depletion of these resources due to the expansion of agriculture that relies on chemical fertilizers. In contrast, the fertilizer production method of the present embodiment makes it possible to generate, for example, a fertilizer that can be used in hydroponic cultivation and contains pre-ionized phosphorus components (i.e., a fertilizer that can be used as an organic fertilizer), thereby making it possible to realize hydroponic cultivation that does not require the use of chemical fertilizers. Therefore, the fertilizer production method of the present embodiment makes it possible to promote the spread of hydroponic cultivation, and further makes it possible to contribute to resolving food shortages caused by abnormal weather, population growth, and the like.

[0037] Furthermore, in the fertilizer production method of the present embodiment, by using aquaculture wastewater in which the main nitrogen component is nitrate, it becomes possible to supply a membrane permeate containing a potassium component which is a cation and a nitrate component which is an anion to the ion concentrator 3. Therefore, in the ion concentrator 3, it becomes possible to easily separate the potassium component from the nitrogen component (nitrate component) by, for example, applying a voltage to the membrane permeate.

[0038] The potassium component and the nitrogen component can also be separated by, for example, a distillation process. However, the distillation process requires the use of a strong base such as sodium hydroxide as a reaction accelerator, and a fertilizer that can be used in organic agriculture cannot be produced. Therefore, in the fertilizer production method of the present embodiment, it is preferable to separate the potassium component and the nitrogen component by a method other than the distillation process.

[0039] [Control device 10 in the first embodiment] Next, the configuration of the control device 10 in the first embodiment will be described. Fig. 2 is a diagram illustrating the hardware configuration of the control device 10. Fig. 3 is a diagram illustrating the functions of the control device 10.

[0040] The fertilizer production system 100 includes a control device 10 (hereinafter also referred to as an information processing device 10) that performs, for example, fertilizer production control (hereinafter also simply referred to as fertilizer production control) as shown in Figures 2 and 3. Specifically, the control device 10 performs open and close control of, for example, a valve V1 provided in a line L4, a valve V2 provided in a line L9, and a valve V3 provided in a line L10 as shown in Figures 1 and 3.

[0041] More specifically, the control device 10 controls the supply amount (e.g., supply amount per unit time) of the phosphorus concentrated solution supplied from the storage tank T1 to the storage tank T5, for example, by appropriately adjusting the opening degree of the valve V1. The control device 10 also controls the supply amount (e.g., supply amount per unit time) of the nitric acid concentrated solution supplied from the storage tank T2 to the storage tank T5, for example, by appropriately adjusting the opening degree of the valve V2. The control device 10 also controls the supply amount (e.g., supply amount per unit time) of the potassium concentrated solution supplied from the storage tank T3 to the storage tank T5, for example, by appropriately adjusting the opening degree of the valve V3.

[0042] That is, the control device 10 controls, for example, the mixing ratio of each solution in the mixed liquid (fertilizer) stored in the storage tank T5.

[0043] 2, the control device 10 is, for example, an electronic device having an electronic circuit. Specifically, the control device 10 is, for example, a computer device having a CPU 101 which is a processor, a memory 102, a communication device 103, and a storage medium 104. Each unit is connected to each other via a bus 105, for example.

[0044] The storage medium 104 has, for example, a program storage area (not shown) that stores a program 110 for performing fertilizer production control. The storage medium 104 also has, for example, an information storage area 130 (hereinafter also referred to as a storage unit 130) that stores information used when performing fertilizer production control. The storage medium 104 may be, for example, a hard disk drive (HDD) or a solid state drive (SSD).

[0045] The CPU 101 performs fertilizer production control by, for example, executing a program 110 loaded from the storage medium 104 to the memory 102 .

[0046] The communication device 103 accesses an operation terminal (not shown) through which an operator inputs necessary information, for example, via a network (not shown) such as the Internet.

[0047] The control device 10 may include, for example, a field programmable gate array (FPGA) or an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC). The fertilizer production control may be executed in, for example, the FPGA or the ASIC.

[0048] In addition, the following description will be given of a case where the fertilizer production control is performed by one control device 10, but is not limited to this. Specifically, for example, when the fertilizer production system 100 has multiple control devices 10, each process executed in the fertilizer production control may be executed in a distributed state in each of the multiple control devices 10.

[0049] [Flow chart of fertilizer production control] Next, the flow chart of the fertilizer production control will be described below. Fig. 4 is a flow chart for explaining the fertilizer production control in the first embodiment.

[0050] As shown in Fig. 4, the control device 10 waits until it receives an input of a fertilizer production instruction (hereinafter also simply referred to as a production instruction) including, for example, the use of the fertilizer and the amount of fertilizer to be produced. Specifically, the control device 10 waits until, for example, an operator inputs a production instruction via an operation terminal. The use of the fertilizer may be, for example, the type of plant for which the produced fertilizer is to be used. The amount of fertilizer to be produced may be, for example, the amount of fertilizer that the operator wishes to produce.

[0051] Then, when a production instruction input is received (step S1 in FIG. 4), the control device 10, for example, refers to the mixing ratio information DT stored in the information storage area 130, and identifies the mixing ratio (hereinafter also simply referred to as the mixing ratio) corresponding to the application for which the input was received in step S1 (step S2 in FIG. 4). The mixing ratio information DT is, for example, information indicating the mixing ratio of phosphate ions, nitrate ions, and potassium ions. Note that the mixing ratio information DT may be generated in advance by, for example, an operator. A specific example of the mixing ratio information DT will be described below.

[0052] [Specific examples of mixing ratio information DT] FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining a specific example of the mixture ratio information DT.

[0053] The mixing ratio information DT shown in FIG. 5 has, for example, items such as "phosphate ion," in which the mixing ratio of phosphate ion is set, "nitrate ion," in which the mixing ratio of nitrate ion is set, "potassium ion," in which the mixing ratio of potassium ion is set, and "use," in which the use of the fertilizer is set.

[0054] Specifically, in the mixing ratio information DT shown in FIG. 5, for example, in the information in the first row, "phosphate ion" is set to "30 (g / L)", "nitrate ion" is set to "40 (g / L)", "potassium ion" is set to "30 (g / L)", and "use" is set to "Plant A".

[0055] In the mixing ratio information DT shown in Fig. 5, for example, in the information on the second line, "phosphate ion" is set to "10 (g / L)", "nitrate ion" is set to "10 (g / L)", "potassium ion" is set to "80 (g / L)", and "use" is set to "Plant B". Explanation of other information included in Fig. 5 will be omitted.

[0056] Therefore, for example, if the use of the fertilizer received in step S1 of FIG. 4 is for plant B, the control device 10, in step S2 of FIG. 4, refers to the mixing ratio information DT shown in FIG. 5 and specifies 10 (g / L) as the mixing ratio of phosphate ions, 10 (g / L) as the mixing ratio of nitrate ions, and 80 (g / L) as the mixing ratio of potassium ions.

[0057] The information included in the mixing ratio information DT may be updated as appropriate. Specifically, the worker may update the information included in the mixing ratio information DT according to the growth status of the plant when the fertilizer generated according to the mixing ratio information DT is used.

[0058] Furthermore, for example, a plurality of pieces of mixing ratio information DT may be stored in the information storage area 130. Then, the control device 10 may select the mixing ratio information DT according to, for example, the season or weather at the timing when the fertilizer production control is performed, and perform step S2 in Fig. 4 by referring to the selected mixing ratio information DT.

[0059] Returning to FIG. 4, the control device 10 determines the mixing amount of phosphorus concentrate (hereinafter also referred to as the first mixing amount), the mixing amount of nitric acid concentrate (hereinafter also referred to as the second mixing amount), and the mixing amount of potassium concentrate (hereinafter also referred to as the third mixing amount) based on, for example, the amount of fertilizer produced whose input was accepted in step S1 of FIG. 4 and the mixing ratio identified in step S2 of FIG. 4 (step S3 of FIG. 4).

[0060] Specifically, in the information (first line information) in which the "use" of the mixing ratio information DT shown in Fig. 5 is "Plant A", for example, "30 (g / L)" is set as "phosphate ion", "40 (g / L)" is set as "nitrate ion", and "30 (g / L)" is set as "potassium ion". Therefore, for example, when the use of the fertilizer inputted in step S1 of Fig. 4 is plant A and the production amount of the fertilizer inputted in step S1 of Fig. 4 is 10 (L), the control device 10 calculates 300 (g) as the mixed amount of phosphate ion by multiplying 10 (L) by 30 (g / L), calculates 400 (g) as the mixed amount of nitrate ion by multiplying 10 (L) by 40 (g / L), and calculates 300 (g) as the mixed amount of potassium ion by multiplying 10 (L) by 30 (g / L).

[0061] For example, when the concentration of phosphate ions in the phosphorus concentrate stored in the storage tank T1 is 100 (g / L), the control device 10 calculates 3 (L) as the mixed amount of phosphorus concentrate (first mixed amount) by dividing 300 (g) which is the mixed amount of phosphate ions by 100 (g / L) which is the concentration of phosphate ions in the phosphorus concentrate stored in the storage tank T1. Also, when the concentration of nitrate ions in the nitric acid concentrate stored in the storage tank T2 is 200 (g / L), the control device 10 calculates 2 (L) as the mixed amount of nitric acid concentrate (second mixed amount) by dividing 400 (g) which is the mixed amount of nitrate ions by 200 (g / L) which is the concentration of nitrate ions in the nitric acid concentrate stored in the storage tank T2. Furthermore, for example, when the concentration of potassium ions in the potassium concentrated solution stored in storage tank T3 is 300 (g / L), the control device 10 calculates a mixed amount of potassium concentrated solution (third mixed amount) of 1 (L) by dividing the mixed amount of potassium ions, 300 (g), by the concentration of potassium ions in the potassium concentrated solution stored in storage tank T3, 300 (g / L).

[0062] Thereafter, the control device 10 produces fertilizer by, for example, mixing a phosphorus concentrate corresponding to the first mixing amount determined in step S3 of FIG. 4, a nitric acid concentrate corresponding to the second mixing amount determined in step S3 of FIG. 4, and a potassium concentrate corresponding to the third mixing amount determined in step S3 of FIG. 4 (step S4 of FIG. 4).

[0063] Specifically, the control device 10 controls, for example, the valve V1 to open and close so that the phosphorus concentrate corresponding to the first mixture amount determined in step S3 of Fig. 4 is supplied from the storage tank T1 to the storage tank T5. The control device 10 also controls, for example, the valve V2 to open and close so that the nitric acid concentrate corresponding to the second mixture amount determined in step S3 of Fig. 4 is supplied from the storage tank T2 to the storage tank T5. The control device 10 also controls, for example, the valve V3 to open and close so that the potassium concentrate corresponding to the third mixture amount determined in step S3 of Fig. 4 is supplied from the storage tank T3 to the storage tank T5.

[0064] More specifically, for example, if the use of the fertilizer inputted in step S1 of FIG. 4 is plant A, the amount of fertilizer generated inputted in step S1 of FIG. 4 is 10 (L), the first mixing amount determined in step S2 of FIG. 4 is 3 (L), the second mixing amount determined in step S2 of FIG. 4 is 2 (L), and the third mixing amount determined in step S2 of FIG. 4 is 1 (L), the control device 10 performs control so that, for example, 3 (L) of phosphorus concentrate is supplied from the storage tank T1 to the storage tank T5, 2 (L) of nitric acid concentrate is supplied from the storage tank T2 to the storage tank T5, 1 (L) of potassium concentrate is supplied from the storage tank T3 to the storage tank T5, and further 4 (L) of water (dilution water) is supplied to the storage tank T5, thereby generating 10 (L) of fertilizer that can be used for the plant A.

[0065] This enables the control device 10 to produce fertilizer that corresponds to the purpose and production amount specified by the operator, for example.

[0066] In the above example, a case where fertilizer is generated in response to receiving an input of a fertilizer generation instruction has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this. Specifically, the control device 10 may generate fertilizer according to a preset use and generation amount in response to, for example, a predetermined timing. The predetermined timing may be, for example, a timing at a predetermined time such as every few hours. In addition, the predetermined timing may be, for example, a timing when the storage amount of each solution in at least one of the storage tanks T1, T2, and T3 exceeds a predetermined threshold value.

[0067] In the above example, the supply amount of each solution to the storage tank T5 is adjusted by controlling the opening and closing of the valves V1, V2, and V3, but the present invention is not limited to this. Specifically, the storage tank T5 may be placed on a belt conveyor (not shown) and moved sequentially below a supply port (not shown) of a phosphorus concentrated solution communicating with the line L4, a supply port (not shown) of a nitric acid concentrated solution communicating with the line L9, and a supply port (not shown) of a potassium concentrated solution communicating with the line L10. The control device 10 may adjust the opening degree of the valves V1, V2, and V3, and control the moving speed of the storage tank T5 to adjust the supply amount of each solution to the storage tank T5.

[0068] Thus, the fertilizer production method in the fertilizer production system 100 in this embodiment includes, for example, the steps of extracting a phosphorus concentrate containing at least a phosphorus component, a nitric acid concentrate containing at least a nitrogen component (nitric acid component), and a potassium concentrate containing at least a potassium component from organic wastewater containing a phosphorus component, a nitrogen component, and a potassium component, a step of ionizing the phosphorus component contained in the phosphorus concentrate, and a step of producing a fertilizer from at least one of the phosphorus concentrate containing the ionized phosphorus component, the extracted nitric acid concentrate, and the extracted potassium concentrate.

[0069] Specifically, in the fertilizer production system 100 of the present embodiment, the organic wastewater is, for example, aquaculture wastewater, the nitric acid concentrate contains, for example, an ionized nitric acid component, and the potassium concentrate contains, for example, an ionized potassium component. In the fertilizer production method of the present embodiment, in the extraction step, for example, a phosphorus concentrate is extracted from the organic wastewater, and a nitric acid concentrate containing the nitric acid component which is an anion and a potassium concentrate containing the potassium component which is a cation are extracted from the organic wastewater from which the phosphorus concentrate has been extracted by applying a voltage to the organic wastewater from which the phosphorus concentrate has been extracted, or by using at least one of a resin capable of adsorbing anions and a resin capable of adsorbing cations.

[0070] In the ionization step of the fertilizer production method according to the present embodiment, the phosphorus component contained in the phosphorus concentrate is ionized by, for example, biological treatment.

[0071] In the ionization step of the fertilizer producing method of the present embodiment, the ionized phosphorus components are eluted from the sludge, for example, by pulverizing the sludge contained in the phosphorus concentrate.

[0072] Further, the control device 10 in this embodiment accepts, for example, input of the use of the fertilizer and the production amount of the fertilizer. Then, the control device 10, for example, refers to the information storage area 130 storing the mixing ratio information DT regarding the mixing ratio of the phosphorus concentrate, the nitric acid concentrate, and the potassium concentrate, and specifies the mixing ratio corresponding to the use of the fertilizer for which the input has been accepted. Next, the control device 10 determines, for example, the first mixing amount of the phosphorus concentrate, the second mixing amount of the nitric acid concentrate, and the third mixing amount of the potassium concentrate based on the production amount for which the input has been accepted and the specified mixing ratio. After that, the control device 10 generates the fertilizer by, for example, mixing the phosphorus concentrate corresponding to the determined first mixing amount, the nitric acid concentrate corresponding to the determined second mixing amount, and the potassium concentrate corresponding to the determined third mixing amount.

[0073] That is, in the fertilizer production method of the present embodiment, for example, insoluble phosphorus components contained in organic wastewater are ionized and then used to produce fertilizer.

[0074] As a result, the fertilizer production method of the present embodiment makes it possible to produce a fertilizer that requires less time to produce an effect than, for example, conventional organic fertilizers that require ionization (mineralization) by microorganisms, etc. Therefore, the fertilizer production method of the present embodiment makes it possible to produce a fertilizer that can further promote plant growth, for example.

[0075] In the fertilizer production system 100 of the present embodiment, for example, the phosphorus component contained in the phosphorus concentrate stored in the storage tank T1, the nitric acid component contained in the nitric acid concentrate stored in the storage tank T2, and the potassium component contained in the potassium concentrate stored in the storage tank T3 are each present in the form of ions. Therefore, in the fertilizer production system 100 of the present embodiment, for example, by using various sensors (not shown), it is possible to easily and accurately measure the concentration of each component. Therefore, in the fertilizer production method of the present embodiment, it is possible to accurately produce a fertilizer corresponding to the mixing ratio identified in step S2 of FIG. 4, for example.

[0076] In the above example, the organic wastewater used to produce the fertilizer is aquaculture wastewater, but the present invention is not limited to this. Specifically, the organic wastewater used to produce the fertilizer may be, for example, a digestive liquid such as a methane fermentation liquid (hereinafter, simply referred to as digestive liquid).

[0077] Furthermore, for example, when a digestive liquid is used as the organic wastewater used to produce fertilizer, the fertilizer production system 100 may have, for example, a nitrification reaction tank (not shown) that oxidizes (nitrifies) the ammonia component contained in the digestive liquid to a nitrate component. The storage tank T0 may store the digestive liquid after oxidation in the nitrification reaction tank.

[0078] [Fertilizer production system 200 according to the second embodiment] Next, the configuration of the fertilizer production system 200 in the second embodiment will be described. Fig. 6 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of the fertilizer production system 200 in the second embodiment. Below, differences from the fertilizer production system 100 in the first embodiment will be described.

[0079] As shown in FIG. 6, the fertilizer production system 200 has, in addition to the components of the fertilizer production system 100 described in FIG. 1 etc., a filtration device 4, a filtration device 5, a storage tank T6, and a storage tank T7.

[0080] The filtration device 4 is a device that filters the phosphorus concentrate supplied from the storage tank T1 via the line L4a, for example, by using a filtration membrane (not shown). The line L4a is, for example, a pipe that connects the storage tank T1 and the filtration device 4. The filtration membrane in the filtration device 4 may be, for example, a reverse osmosis membrane.

[0081] Specifically, a pump (not shown) provided on the line L4a supplies the phosphorus concentrate stored in the storage tank T1 to the filtration device 4. The filtration device 4 extracts a liquid containing fertilizer components contained in the phosphorus concentrate supplied by the pump, for example, by filtering the phosphorus concentrate supplied by the pump. In other words, the filtration device 4 extracts a liquid that has not passed through the filtration membrane from the phosphorus concentrate supplied by the pump. The fertilizer components contained in the phosphorus concentrate are, for example, microorganisms having a growth-promoting effect, such as plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) and plant growth-promoting fungi (PGPF). The fertilizer components contained in the phosphorus concentrate are, for example, insoluble substances including polymer organic matter having a growth-promoting effect, such as humic substances and fulvic acid, and minerals that have not been mineralized.

[0082] In this case, the filtration device 4 may return the liquid from which the fertilizer components have been separated to the aquaculture tank via a line L4b. The line L4b is, for example, a pipe connecting the filtration device 4 and the aquaculture tank.

[0083] The storage tank T7 stores, for example, a liquid containing fertilizer components supplied from the filtering device 4 via a line L4c. The line L4c is, for example, a pipe connecting the filtering device 4 and the storage tank T7. Specifically, a pump (not shown) provided in the line L4c supplies, for example, the liquid containing fertilizer components supplied from the filtering device 4 to the storage tank T7. The storage tank T7 then stores, for example, the supplied liquid containing fertilizer components.

[0084] In this case, the control device 10 performs, for example, an opening and closing control of a valve V5 provided in the line L4d. The line L4d is, for example, a pipe that connects the storage tank T7 and the line L4.

[0085] Specifically, the control device 10 controls the supply amount (e.g., the supply amount per unit time) of liquid containing fertilizer components supplied from the storage tank T7 to the storage tank T5 via the line L4d and a part of the line L4, for example, by appropriately adjusting the opening degree of the valve V5.

[0086] That is, when the generated fertilizer is used in hydroponic cultivation, for example, it is necessary for the fertilizer generation system 200 to generate a fertilizer that does not contain microorganisms, etc. On the other hand, when the generated fertilizer is used in soil cultivation, it is preferable for the fertilizer generation system 200 to generate a fertilizer that contains microorganisms, etc., from the viewpoint of increasing soil fertility, for example.

[0087] Therefore, the control device 10 may also receive, for example, in step S1 of Fig. 4, input of information indicating that the generated fertilizer will be used in hydroponic cultivation, or information indicating that the generated fertilizer will be used in soil cultivation. Then, for example, when receiving input of information indicating that the generated fertilizer will be used in hydroponic cultivation, the control device 10 may control the phosphorus concentrate supplied from the storage tank T1 to be supplied to the filtration device 4, and the fertilizer components contained in the phosphorus concentrate supplied from the storage tank T1 may be extracted in the filtration device 4. That is, in this case, the control device 10 may control, for example, the phosphorus concentrate from which the fertilizer components have been separated to be supplied to the storage tank T5 via the line L4c, the storage tank T7, the line L4d, and a part of the line L4.

[0088] Specifically, in this case, the control device 10 may, for example, control the opening of a valve V6 provided in line L4a so that the phosphorus concentrated liquid supplied from the storage tank T1 is supplied to the filtration device 4 via line L4a, and may control the closing of a valve V7 provided upstream of the junction of line L4 with line L4d.

[0089] On the other hand, for example, when receiving an input of information indicating that the produced fertilizer is to be used in soil cultivation, the control device 10 may control the phosphorus concentrated solution supplied from the storage tank T1 to be directly supplied to the storage tank T5. That is, in this case, the control device 10 may control the phosphorus concentrated solution supplied from the storage tank T1 to be directly supplied to the storage tank T5, bypassing the filtration device 4.

[0090] Specifically, in this case, the control device 10 may, for example, control the valve V6 to close and the valve V7 to open so that the phosphorus concentrated solution is directly supplied from the storage tank T1 to the storage tank T5 via the line L4.

[0091] In the example shown in Fig. 6, the line L4d communicates with the line L4, but is not limited thereto. Specifically, the line L4d may communicate directly with the storage tank T5 without passing through a part of the line L4. That is, the phosphorus concentrate after the fertilizer component is separated may be supplied directly to the storage tank T5 without passing through a part of the line L4.

[0092] This makes it possible, for example, in the fertilizer production system 200, to completely separate lines through which the phosphorus concentrated liquid from which the fertilizer components have been separated (phosphorus concentrated liquid supplied from the storage tank T7) flows and the phosphorus concentrated liquid from which the fertilizer components have not been separated (phosphorus concentrated liquid supplied directly from the storage tank T1). Therefore, in the fertilizer production system 200, it becomes possible, for example, to prevent the phosphorus concentrated liquid from which the fertilizer components have been separated from being contaminated by microorganisms and the like.

[0093] The filtration device 5 is a device that performs ultrafiltration of the waste liquid supplied from the storage tank T4 via the line L11 by using, for example, a filtration membrane (not shown). The line L11 is, for example, a pipe that connects the storage tank T4 and the filtration device 5.

[0094] Specifically, a pump (not shown) provided in the line L11 supplies, for example, the waste liquid stored in the storage tank T4 to the filtration device 5. The filtration device 5 then extracts a liquid containing fertilizer components from the waste liquid supplied by the pump, for example, by filtering the waste liquid supplied by the pump. In other words, the filtration device 5 extracts a liquid that did not pass through the filtration membrane from the phosphorus concentrated liquid supplied by the pump, for example.

[0095] In this case, the filtration device 5 may return the wastewater from which the fertilizer components have been separated to the aquaculture tank via a line L12. The line L12 is, for example, a pipe connecting the filtration device 5 and the aquaculture tank.

[0096] The storage tank T6 stores, for example, a liquid containing fertilizer components supplied from the filtering device 5 via a line L13. The line L13 is, for example, a pipe connecting the filtering device 5 and the storage tank T6. Specifically, a pump (not shown) provided in the line L13 supplies, for example, the liquid containing fertilizer components supplied from the filtering device 5 to the storage tank T6. Then, the storage tank T6 stores, for example, the supplied liquid containing fertilizer components.

[0097] In this case, the control device 10 performs, for example, an opening and closing control of a valve V4 provided in the line L14. The line L14 is, for example, a pipe that connects the storage tank T6 and the storage tank T5.

[0098] Specifically, the control device 10 controls the supply amount (for example, the supply amount per unit time) of the liquid containing the fertilizer component supplied from the storage tank T6 to the storage tank T5 by, for example, appropriately adjusting the opening degree of the valve V4.

[0099] In this manner, in the fertilizer production method of the present embodiment, for example, a solution containing fertilizer components such as microorganisms is separated from a phosphorus concentrate in which phosphorus components have been ionized. Then, in the fertilizer production method of the present embodiment, a fertilizer is produced from at least one of the phosphorus concentrate obtained by separating the solution containing the fertilizer components, the extracted nitric acid concentrate, and the extracted potassium concentrate.

[0100] That is, in the fertilizer production method of the present embodiment, for example, when producing a fertilizer for use in hydroponic cultivation, a fertilizer that does not contain effective fertilizer components (effective fertilizer components contained in a phosphorus concentrate) is produced. On the other hand, in the fertilizer production method of the present embodiment, for example, when producing a fertilizer for use in soil cultivation, a fertilizer that contains effective fertilizer components (effective fertilizer components contained in a phosphorus concentrate) is produced.

[0101] As a result, the fertilizer production method in this embodiment makes it possible to produce fertilizer suitable for each application, for example. [Explanation of symbols]

[0102] 1: Filtration device 2: Ionization device 3: Ion concentrator 4: Filtration device 5: Filtration device 10: Control device 100: Fertilizer production system 101: CPU 102: Memory 103: Communication device 104: Storage medium 105: Bus 110: Program 130: Information storage area DT: Mixing ratio information T0: Storage tank T1: Storage tank T2: Storage tank T3: Storage tank T4: Storage tank T5: Storage tank T6: Storage tank L1: Line L2: Line L3: Line L4: Line L4a: Line L4b: Line L4c: Line L4d: Line L5: Line L6: Line L7: Line L8: Line L9: Line L10: Line L11: Line L12: Line L13: Line L14: Line V1: Valve V2: Valve V3: Valve V4: Valve V5: Valve V6: Valve V7: Valve

Claims

1. A step of extracting a first solution containing at least the phosphorus component, a second solution containing at least the nitrogen component, and a third solution containing at least the potassium component from organic wastewater containing a phosphorus component, a nitrogen component, and a potassium component; ionizing the phosphorus component contained in the first solution; and generating a fertilizer from at least one of the first solution containing the ionized phosphorus component, the extracted second solution, and the extracted third solution.

2. The organic wastewater is aquaculture wastewater, The second solution contains an ionized nitric acid component as the nitrogen component, the third solution contains an ionized potassium component as the potassium component, In the extracting step, Extracting the first solution from the organic wastewater; 2. The fertilizer production method according to claim 1, wherein the second solution containing the nitrate component which is an anion and the third solution containing the potassium component which is a cation are extracted from the organic wastewater from which the first solution has been extracted by applying a voltage to the organic wastewater from which the first solution has been extracted, or by using at least one of a resin capable of adsorbing anions and a resin capable of adsorbing cations.

3. Further, the method includes a step of separating a solution containing microorganisms from the first solution in which the phosphorus component is ionized, 3. The fertilizer production method according to claim 2, wherein in the producing step, a fertilizer is produced from at least one of the first solution obtained by separating the solution containing the microorganisms, the second solution obtained by extracting, and the third solution obtained by extracting.

4. The fertilizer producing method according to claim 1 , wherein in the ionizing step, the phosphorus component contained in the first solution is ionized by a biological treatment.

5. The fertilizer producing method according to claim 1 , wherein in the ionizing step, the ionized phosphorus components are eluted from the sludge by crushing the sludge contained in the first solution.

6. A fertilizer production method in which a computer executes a process of producing a fertilizer by mixing a first solution, a second solution, and a third solution extracted from organic wastewater containing a phosphorus component, a nitrogen component, and a potassium component, the process comprising: the first solution contains at least the ionized phosphorus component; The second solution contains at least the nitrogen component, The third solution contains at least the potassium component, Accepting input of a use of the fertilizer and a production amount of the fertilizer; referring to a storage unit that stores information regarding a mixing ratio of the first solution, the second solution, and the third solution, and identifying a mixing ratio corresponding to the application for which an input has been received; determining a first mixed amount of the first solution, a second mixed amount of the second solution, and a third mixed amount of the third solution based on the input generated amount and the specified mixing ratio; a fertilizer producing method for producing the fertilizer by mixing the first solution corresponding to the first mixed amount, the second solution corresponding to the second mixed amount, and the third solution corresponding to the third mixed amount.

7. An information processing device for producing a fertilizer by mixing a first solution, a second solution, and a third solution extracted from organic wastewater containing a phosphorus component, a nitrogen component, and a potassium component, the information processing device comprising: the first solution contains at least the ionized phosphorus component; The second solution contains at least the nitrogen component, The third solution contains at least the potassium component, Accepting input of a use of the fertilizer and a production amount of the fertilizer; referring to a storage unit that stores information regarding a mixing ratio of the first solution, the second solution, and the third solution, and identifying a mixing ratio corresponding to the application for which an input has been received; determining a first mixed amount of the first solution, a second mixed amount of the second solution, and a third mixed amount of the third solution based on the input generated amount and the specified mixing ratio; an information processing device that generates the fertilizer by mixing the first solution corresponding to the first mixing amount, the second solution corresponding to the second mixing amount, and the third solution corresponding to the third mixing amount.

8. A fertilizer production program that causes a computer to execute a process of producing a fertilizer by mixing a first solution, a second solution, and a third solution extracted from organic wastewater containing a phosphorus component, a nitrogen component, and a potassium component, the process comprising: the first solution contains at least the ionized phosphorus component; The second solution contains at least the nitrogen component, The third solution contains at least the potassium component, Accepting input of a use of the fertilizer and a production amount of the fertilizer; referring to a storage unit that stores information regarding a mixing ratio of the first solution, the second solution, and the third solution, and identifying a mixing ratio corresponding to the application for which an input has been received; determining a first mixed amount of the first solution, a second mixed amount of the second solution, and a third mixed amount of the third solution based on the input generated amount and the specified mixing ratio; a fertilizer generating program for generating the fertilizer by mixing the first solution corresponding to the first mixing amount, the second solution corresponding to the second mixing amount, and the third solution corresponding to the third mixing amount.

Citation Information

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