Biofuel production system, method for producing biofuel, and biofuel production vehicle

Abstract

To effectively use energy generated in a biofuel production process.SOLUTION: A biofuel production system 2 is a system capable of producing a biofuel from a biomass feedstock. The system includes: a thermal decomposition furnace 13 that thermally decomposes the biomass feedstock by using heat supplied from a combustion chamber; gas supply piping 21 that supplies carbonization gas generated in the thermal decomposition furnace 13 to the combustion chamber as a fuel; a mode setting part for setting any one of a plurality of operation modes according to the use of the carbonization gas; a distribution control valve 25 for controlling a supply of the carbonization gas to the combustion chamber; and a valve control part that controls the distribution control valve 25 according to a set operation mode.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a biofuel production system, a biofuel production method, and a biofuel production vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] As a measure against the depletion of fossil fuels and global warming caused by CO2 emissions, it has been proposed to turn biomass, such as woody biomass, which has traditionally been treated as waste, into a resource and make effective use of it. For example, sawmills and timber markets generate large amounts of bark. In forests, parks, and rivers, mowing and pruning generate large amounts of branches and leaves. By collecting these instead of disposing of them and turning them into resources by producing biofuels such as biochar, it is possible to reduce waste disposal costs and CO2 emissions.

[0003] However, such biomass materials, such as wood and branches and leaves, are widely scattered throughout the country. Therefore, it is desirable to efficiently recover and recycle such biomass materials. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a mobile carbonization treatment facility in which a compact carbonization treatment facility is mounted on a vehicle. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6233910 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, the mobile carbonization treatment facility disclosed in Patent Document 1 is merely a compact carbonization device mounted on a vehicle, and no consideration is given to the utilization of the energy generated in the carbonization treatment facility.

[0006] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and aims to provide a biofuel production system, a biofuel production method, and a biofuel production vehicle that can effectively utilize the energy generated in the biofuel production process. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] One aspect of the present disclosure is a biofuel production system capable of producing biofuel from biomass feedstock, comprising: a pyrolysis furnace that pyrolyzes the biomass feedstock using heat supplied from a combustion chamber; a gas supply piping that supplies the dry distillation gas generated in the pyrolysis furnace as fuel to the combustion chamber; a mode setting means for setting one of a plurality of operating modes according to an application of the dry distillation gas; an adjustment means for adjusting the amount of the dry distillation gas supplied to the combustion chamber; and a control means for controlling the adjustment means according to the set operating mode.

[0008] One aspect of the present disclosure is a biofuel production method having a biofuel production system capable of producing biofuel from biomass feedstock, the biofuel production system including a pyrolysis furnace that pyrolyzes biomass feedstock using heat supplied from a combustion chamber, and a gas supply pipe that supplies distillation gas generated in the pyrolysis furnace as fuel to the combustion chamber, the biofuel production system having a plurality of operating modes according to uses of the distillation gas, and when any one of the plurality of operating modes is set, adjusting the amount of the distillation gas supplied to the combustion chamber according to the set operating mode.

[0009] One aspect of the present disclosure is a biofuel production vehicle equipped with the biofuel production system described above. Effect of the Invention

[0010] The biofuel production system, biofuel production method, and biofuel production vehicle disclosed herein have the advantage of being able to effectively utilize the energy generated in the biofuel production process. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a biofuel production vehicle according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a schematic configuration of a pyrolysis furnace in a biofuel production system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Diagram 3] 2 is a functional configuration diagram illustrating an example of functions provided in a system control device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] Hereinafter, an embodiment of a biofuel production system, a biofuel production method, and a biofuel production vehicle according to the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a biofuel production vehicle 1 according to this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, a biofuel production vehicle 1 is equipped with a biofuel production system 2 that produces biofuel from a biomass feedstock. Furthermore, the biofuel production vehicle 1 may be equipped with a conveyor 3 as a raw material transport means for supplying the biomass raw material to the biofuel production system 2.

[0013] The biofuel production vehicle 1 may also be equipped with a crane 4. The crane 4 is used, for example, to carry biomass raw materials into the biofuel production system 2. The crane 4 is also used to carry out the biofuel produced by the biofuel production system 2. For example, a cage is connected to the tip of the crane 4 via a wire, and the biomass raw materials and biofuel are stored in the cage, thereby carrying in the biomass raw materials and carrying out the biofuel.

[0014] The biofuel production vehicle 1 is also provided with a drone port (not shown) that functions as a takeoff and landing base for the drone (aircraft) 5. The drone port is provided with a drone charging device (not shown) for charging the drone 5. The drone 5 acquires, for example, information on the collection site of the biomass raw material (location information of the collection site, topographical information, etc.), information on carbon fixation (information on the collected amount of biomass raw material, location information of the fixed biochar, composition information of the biochar, information on the amount of spread of the biochar, etc.). For example, the drone 5 is used to fly around the vehicle and search for biomass raw material in the vicinity. The drone 5 is also used, for example, to search for a place where carbon is fixed by spreading the biofuel (biochar) produced by the biofuel production system 2. For example, the drone 5 is also used to transport the biomass raw material in order to collect the biomass raw material and spread the biochar.

[0015] The biofuel production system 2 includes, for example, a drying device 11, a pulverizer 12, a pyrolysis furnace 13, and a combustion chamber 14. The drying device 11 dries, for example, the biomass raw material fed from the conveyor 3. The biomass raw material is, for example, woody biomass (biological resource) made of wood, forest residues such as branches and leaves generated during tree felling and lumber processing, bark generated from sawmills, wood pellets and wood chips generated from bark and sawdust, etc. For example, a belt dryer that dries the biomass raw material placed on a belt by contacting it with high-temperature gas can be used as the drying device 11. Also, instead of a belt dryer, a rotary kiln dryer, a disk dryer, or the like can be used as the drying device 11. The heating method of the drying device 11 may be either indirect heating or direct heating.

[0016] The pulverizer 12 pulverizes the dried biomass raw material into particles of an appropriate size. The pulverizer 12 is also configured to be capable of pulverizing biofuel such as biochar produced in the pyrolysis furnace 13. The pyrolysis furnace 13 generates biofuel such as biochar by pyrolyzing the biomass raw material. The pyrolysis furnace 13 includes a combustion chamber 14. The combustion chamber 14 burns fuel to generate heat. A part of the biomass raw material pulverized by the pulverizer 12 may be fed into the combustion chamber 14 as fuel. The pyrolysis furnace 13 indirectly heats the biomass raw material with heat supplied from the combustion chamber 14, causing pyrolysis and gasification reactions. As the pyrolysis progresses, the biomass raw material is carbonized while generating pyrolysis gas. The generated biofuel (e.g., biochar, etc.) is discharged and stored in, for example, a predetermined collection container 20 (see FIG. 2). As described above, the biofuel such as biochar may be stored in the collection container 20 after being pulverized by the pulverizer 12. The heating method of the pyrolysis furnace 13 may be either indirect heating or direct heating. Examples of the pyrolysis furnace 13 include an indirect heating rotary kiln, a direct heating rotary kiln, a fluidized bed furnace, and a screw-type carbonization furnace.

[0017] Fig. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a schematic configuration of the vicinity of the pyrolysis furnace 13 in the biofuel production system 2 according to this embodiment. As shown in Fig. 2, the biofuel production system 2 includes a gas supply pipe 21 that supplies the pyrolysis gas generated in the pyrolysis furnace 13 as fuel to the combustion chamber 14. The gas supply pipe 21 is provided with a desulfurization device 22 for removing sulfur oxides from the pyrolysis gas, and the pyrolysis gas after desulfurization may be supplied to the combustion chamber 14. The biofuel production system 2 also includes a gas recovery device 23 that stores the pyrolysis gas, and a gas exhaust pipe 24 for discharging the pyrolysis gas to the gas recovery device 23. In this embodiment, the gas exhaust pipe 24 is connected to the gas supply pipe 21 on the downstream side of the gas flow of the desulfurization device 22. The pyrolysis gas recovered in the gas recovery device 23 is used as a raw material for producing chemical products such as carbon monoxide and hydrogen.

[0018] In the gas supply pipe 21, an adjustment means for adjusting the supply amount of the pyrolysis gas to the combustion chamber 14 is provided at the connection point with the gas exhaust pipe 24. In this embodiment, the adjustment means is, for example, a distribution adjustment valve 25 for adjusting the distribution between the amount of the pyrolysis gas flowing out to the gas supply pipe 21 and the amount of the pyrolysis gas flowing out to the gas exhaust pipe 24. As the distribution adjustment valve 25, for example, a three-way valve can be adopted.

[0019] The biofuel production system 2 includes an exhaust gas pipe 26 that supplies the combustion exhaust gas discharged from the combustion chamber 14 to the drying device 11 as a heat source. The exhaust gas pipe 26 may be provided with a denitrification device 27 for removing nitrogen oxides from the combustion exhaust gas. The exhaust gas pipe 26 is also provided with a heat exchanger 28. For example, in the heat exchanger 28, a heat medium (e.g., steam) heated by the combustion exhaust gas is supplied to the drying device 11. For example, the heat exchanger 28 and the drying device 11 are provided with heat transfer tubes 28a and 11a connected to each other, and the heat medium heated in the heat transfer tube 28a of the heat exchanger 28 is supplied to the heat transfer tube 11a of the drying device 11, thereby indirectly heating and drying the biomass raw material in contact with the outer periphery of the heat transfer tube 11a. The combustion exhaust gas passing through the exhaust gas pipe 26 may pass through the desulfurization device 22, which makes it possible to remove sulfur oxides from the combustion exhaust gas.

[0020] The biofuel production system 2 also includes a temperature sensor 29 for measuring the temperature inside the pyrolysis furnace 13, and an analyzer (see FIG. 2) 30 for analyzing components contained in the dry distillation gas. The biofuel production system 2 may also include a liquid component extraction unit 31 that extracts liquid components from the biomass raw material. This makes it possible to extract liquid components such as wood vinegar oil and bamboo vinegar oil from the biomass raw material, thereby enabling more effective use of the biomass raw material.

[0021] The biofuel production system 2 described above is controlled by a system control device 40 (see FIG. 3). The system control device 40 is a computer, and includes, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit: processor), a main memory, a secondary storage, an external interface, a communication interface, and the like. A series of processes for realizing various functions described below is stored in the secondary storage device or the like in the form of a program, for example, and the CPU (processor) reads out this program into the main storage device and executes information processing and arithmetic processing to realize various functions. The program may be installed in the secondary storage device in advance, provided in a state stored in a non-transient computer-readable storage medium, or distributed via a wired or wireless communication means. Examples of non-transient computer-readable storage media include magnetic disks, magneto-optical disks, CD-ROMs, DVD-ROMs, and semiconductor memories.

[0022] Fig. 3 is a functional configuration diagram showing an example of functions included in the system control device 40. As shown in Fig. 3, the system control device 40 includes a mode setting unit 41, a valve control unit 42, and an operation control unit 43. The system control device 40 may further include a maintenance management unit 44.

[0023] The system control device 40 has a plurality of operation modes according to the use of the pyrolysis gas. The plurality of operation modes include, for example, a combustion mode in which the pyrolysis gas is burned as fuel in the combustion chamber 14, and a chemical production mode in which the pyrolysis gas is discharged as a chemical raw material. The chemical raw material is, for example, carbon monoxide, hydrogen, etc.

[0024] The mode setting unit 41 is used to set one of a plurality of operation modes. The operation mode can be selected by the user. For example, the user selects a desired operation mode by operating the input unit 32 provided as a user interface. The input unit 32 may have a function that allows the user to set the operation mode, and examples of the input unit 32 include a touch panel type input unit, a button type input unit, and a dial type input unit. Information on the operation mode selected by the user is output from the input unit 32 to the system control device 40. When the combustion mode is selected by the user, the mode setting unit 41 sets the combustion mode, and when the chemical production mode is selected by the user, the mode setting unit 41 sets the chemical production mode.

[0025] The valve control unit 42 controls the distribution adjustment valve 25 in accordance with the set operation mode. For example, the valve control unit 42 controls the distribution adjustment valve 25 so as to increase the supply amount of pyrolysis gas to the combustion chamber 14 in the combustion mode compared to the supply amount of pyrolysis gas to the combustion chamber 14 in the other operation modes. In other words, when the combustion mode is set, the distribution adjustment valve 25 is controlled so that the amount of pyrolysis gas supplied from the gas supply pipe 21 to the combustion chamber 14 is greater than the amount of pyrolysis gas discharged to the gas exhaust pipe 24. On the other hand, when the chemical production mode is set, the distribution adjustment valve 25 is controlled so that the amount of pyrolysis gas discharged to the gas exhaust pipe 24 is greater than the amount of pyrolysis gas supplied from the gas supply pipe 21 to the combustion chamber 14. As a result, when the combustion mode is set, the dry distillation gas is mainly supplied to the combustion chamber 14, and when the chemical production mode is set, the dry distillation gas is mainly supplied to the gas recovery device 23 through the gas exhaust piping 24.

[0026] Furthermore, when the combustion mode is set, the valve control unit 42 adjusts the distribution adjustment valve 25 so that the amount of heat generated by the combustion of the dry distillation gas in the combustion chamber 14 falls within a predetermined range. Specifically, the distribution adjustment valve 25 is adjusted so that the amount of heat generated in the combustion chamber 14 is approximately constant. This makes it possible to maintain a stable combustion state in the combustion chamber 14.

[0027] Furthermore, when the chemical production mode is set, the valve control unit 42 controls the distribution adjustment valve 25 so that the production amount of a specific component contained in the pyrolysis gas is within a specific range. For example, the valve control unit 42 acquires information on the production amount of a specific component from the analysis result by the analysis device 30, and adjusts the distribution adjustment valve 25 so that a constant amount of the acquired specific component (e.g., hydrogen) is supplied to the gas recovery device 23. As a result, for example, when the production amount of hydrogen per unit volume increases, the distribution adjustment valve 25 is controlled to reduce the amount of pyrolysis gas supplied to the gas recovery device 23, and when the production amount of hydrogen per unit volume decreases, the distribution adjustment valve 25 is controlled to increase the amount of pyrolysis gas supplied to the gas recovery device 23. This allows the specific component contained in the pyrolysis gas to be generated and recovered in a desired amount.

[0028] The operation control unit 43 also controls the pyrolysis furnace 13 based on the detection result of the temperature sensor 29 and the analysis result of the analysis device 30. For example, the operation control unit 43 estimates the carbonization degree of the biofuel (e.g., biochar) from the analysis result of the analysis device 30, determines the operation time of the pyrolysis furnace 13 based on the estimated carbonization degree, and controls the operation of the pyrolysis furnace 13 based on the determined operation time. More specifically, the operation control unit 43 estimates the carbonization degree of the biofuel (e.g., biochar) from the ratio of each component (e.g., hydrogen, hydrocarbon, water vapor) contained in the dry distillation gas. The operation control unit 43 has, for example, information (e.g., a function, a table, etc.) that associates the carbonization degree of the biofuel with the operation time, and can use this information to obtain the operation time required to reach a desired carbonization degree from the current carbonization degree of the biofuel. By performing such control, it becomes possible to produce biochar with stable quality (degree of carbonization), for example.

[0029] Furthermore, the operation control unit 43 adjusts the amount of fuel supplied to the combustion chamber 14 so that the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 29 is within a predetermined temperature range. For example, the operation control unit 43 may cooperate with the valve control unit 42 to control the amount of dry distillation gas supplied to the combustion chamber 14 so that the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 29 is within a predetermined temperature range. The upper limit of the predetermined temperature range is set, for example, to a temperature at which contaminants or impurities contained in the biomass raw material do not melt, and the lower limit is set, for example, to the lowest temperature at which carbonization can be performed. In this way, since the operating temperature of the pyrolysis furnace 13 is controlled to be within a predetermined temperature range, it becomes possible to discharge contaminants and impurities in a solid state from the pyrolysis furnace 13. This makes it possible to prevent, for example, contaminants and impurities contained in the biomass raw material from melting and adhering to the inside of the furnace, etc.

[0030] The maintenance management unit 44 predicts the remaining life of the biofuel production system 2 based on the operation information of the biofuel production system 2, and manages the maintenance based on the predicted remaining life. In this way, by providing the maintenance management unit 44, it becomes possible to perform maintenance of the biofuel production system 2 at an appropriate time (including replacement of various components that make up the biofuel production system). In addition to the timing of maintenance, the content of the maintenance may also be suggested to the user. Vehicle maintenance may also be managed based on the mileage of the vehicle, etc.

[0031] Next, a method of using the biofuel production vehicle 1 according to this embodiment will be described. The biofuel production vehicle 1 travels around the generating site of the biomass raw material and collects the biomass raw material. The collected biomass raw material is fed by the conveyor 3 into the biofuel production system 2, specifically, into the drying device 11.

[0032] Furthermore, at a predetermined timing, the combustion chamber 14 of the pyrolysis furnace 13 is ignited and combusted. As a result, heat from the combustion chamber 14 is supplied to the pyrolysis furnace 13. This heat may be transferred to the drying device 11 to assist in drying in the drying device 11. Heat may be supplied to the drying device 11 by directly introducing the combustion gas generated in the combustion chamber 14 to the drying device 11, or a heat medium such as water or steam may be used. Note that until the fuel to be combusted in the combustion chamber 14 (a part of the biomass raw material or the combustible gas generated in the pyrolysis furnace 13) is supplied, a start-up fuel (for example, liquefied biofuel or biogas filled in a container) may be used.

[0033] The biomass raw material dried by the drying device 11 is fed into a pulverizer 12. The pulverizer 12 pulverizes the biomass raw material. The biomass raw material pulverized by the pulverizer 12 is supplied to a pyrolysis furnace 13 for biofuel production. At this time, a part of the biomass raw material may be supplied to a combustion chamber 14 as fuel.

[0034] In the pyrolysis furnace 13, the biomass raw material is pyrolyzed to generate biofuel such as biochar, and pyrolysis gas, which is a combustible gas, is generated. The pyrolysis gas is discharged to the gas supply pipe 21, and sulfur oxides are removed in the desulfurization device 22. The flow rate ratio of the pyrolysis gas is adjusted by controlling the distribution adjustment valve 25 by the valve control unit 42 according to the set operation mode. Specifically, when the combustion mode is set, most of the pyrolysis gas is supplied to the combustion chamber 14 (the supply amount of the pyrolysis gas to the combustion chamber 14 is increased compared to the supply amount of the pyrolysis gas to the combustion chamber 14 in the other operation modes), and when the chemical production mode is set, most of the pyrolysis gas is supplied to the gas recovery device 23 through the gas discharge pipe 24 (the pyrolysis gas discharged to the gas discharge pipe 24 is supplied so as to be greater than the pyrolysis gas supplied from the gas supply pipe 21 to the combustion chamber 14), and is used for the production of chemical raw materials.

[0035] Furthermore, the combustion exhaust gas generated by burning the fuel in the combustion chamber 14 is discharged from the pyrolysis furnace 13 through an exhaust gas pipe 26. After environmental impact factors such as NOx and SOx are reduced to a predetermined level by a denitrification device 27 or a desulfurization device 22, the combustion exhaust gas is sent to a heat exchanger 28 and used as a heat source for the drying device 11. The combustion exhaust gas (including drain) after heat exchange is discharged to the outside.

[0036] Furthermore, in the pyrolysis furnace 13, liquid components are extracted and recovered from the biomass raw material by the liquid component extraction unit 31. The operation of the pyrolysis furnace 13 is controlled by the operation control unit 43 based on the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 29 and the analysis results of the analysis device 30. This makes it possible to produce biofuel (e.g., biochar) of stable quality. Biofuel such as biochar produced by the biofuel production system 2 is collected in a specified collection container 20. Furthermore, operation information of the biofuel production system 2 by the operation control unit 43 is accumulated in the maintenance management unit 44, and the timing and content of maintenance are managed based on this operation information.

[0037] As described above, the biofuel production system 2, biofuel production method, and biofuel production vehicle 1 of this embodiment are equipped with a pyrolysis furnace 13 that pyrolyzes biomass raw material using heat supplied from a combustion chamber 14, a gas supply piping 21 that supplies the pyrolysis gas generated in the pyrolysis furnace 13 to the combustion chamber 14 as fuel, a mode setting unit 41 for setting one of a plurality of operating modes according to the use of the pyrolysis gas, a distribution control valve 25 for adjusting the amount of pyrolysis gas supplied to the combustion chamber 14, and a valve control unit 42 that controls the distribution control valve 25 according to the set operating mode.

[0038] This allows the dry distillation gas to be used for multiple purposes. As a result, the dry distillation gas can be effectively utilized, and for example, it becomes possible to operate the biofuel production system 2 and produce biofuel with as little energy input as possible from the outside.

[0039] The biofuel production system 2, the biofuel production method, and the biofuel production vehicle 1 of the present disclosure have been described above using the embodiments, but the technical scope of the present disclosure is not limited to the scope described in the above embodiments. Various modifications or improvements can be made to the above embodiments without departing from the gist of the disclosure, and forms with such modifications or improvements are also included in the technical scope of the present disclosure. In addition, the above embodiments may be combined as appropriate.

[0040] For example, in the above-described embodiment, the gas supply pipe 21 is connected to the gas exhaust pipe 24, and the distribution control valve 25 is provided at the connection point between the gas supply pipe 21 and the gas exhaust pipe 24, and the amount of pyrolysis gas supplied to the combustion chamber 14 and the amount of pyrolysis gas supplied to the gas recovery device 23, in other words, the distribution rate, is adjusted by controlling the distribution control valve 25, but this is not limited to the above. For example, the gas supply pipe 21 for supplying pyrolysis gas to the combustion chamber 14 and the gas exhaust pipe 24 for supplying pyrolysis gas to the gas recovery device 23 may be provided separately, and the gas supply pipe 21 and the gas exhaust pipe 24 may each be provided with a flow rate control valve for adjusting the flow rate. Then, a configuration may be adopted in which the valve opening degree of each flow rate control valve is controlled according to the set operation mode.

[0041] The configuration of the biofuel production system 2 is an example and is not limited thereto. For example, the pulverizer 12 may be omitted. A cutter may be used instead of the pulverizer 12. The operation control of the biofuel production system 2 may be appropriately combined with known techniques. For example, known techniques can be appropriately adopted for the various operating conditions of the above-mentioned biofuel production system 2 (e.g., drying temperature, drying time, pulverized particle size, pyrolysis temperature, time, oxygen concentration, etc.).

[0042] The biofuel production system, the biofuel production method, and the biofuel production vehicle described in the above-described embodiment can be understood, for example, as follows.

[0043] A biofuel production system (2) according to a first aspect of the present disclosure is a biofuel production system (2) capable of producing biofuel from a biomass raw material, and includes a pyrolysis furnace (13) that pyrolyzes the biomass raw material using heat supplied from a combustion chamber (14), a gas supply piping (21) that supplies the pyrolysis gas generated in the pyrolysis furnace as fuel to the combustion chamber, a mode setting means (41) for setting one of a plurality of operating modes according to an application of the pyrolysis gas, an adjustment means (25) for adjusting the amount of the pyrolysis gas supplied to the combustion chamber, and a control means (42) for controlling the adjustment means according to the set operating mode.

[0044] According to the above embodiment, the pyrolysis gas can be used for a plurality of purposes. As a result, the pyrolysis gas can be effectively utilized, and for example, the biofuel production system 2 can be operated to produce biofuel while receiving as little energy as possible from the outside.

[0045] In the first aspect of the biofuel production system (2) according to the second aspect of the present disclosure, the multiple operating modes include a combustion mode in which the pyrolysis gas is combusted in the combustion chamber as fuel, and a chemical production mode in which a chemical raw material is produced from the pyrolysis gas, and the control means (42) increases the amount of the pyrolysis gas supplied to the combustion chamber in the combustion mode compared to the amount of the pyrolysis gas supplied to the combustion chamber in the other operating modes.

[0046] According to the above-mentioned embodiment, it is possible to use the pyrolysis gas as a fuel for combustion or to produce a chemical raw material from the pyrolysis gas depending on the situation. Also, the distribution rate of the pyrolysis gas can be appropriately adjusted depending on the operation mode.

[0047] In the biofuel production system (2) according to the third aspect of the present disclosure, in the second aspect, the control means (42) controls the adjustment means (25) when the combustion mode is set so that the heat value of the dry distillation gas in the combustion chamber is within a predetermined range.

[0048] According to the above aspect, in the combustion mode, it is possible to maintain the calorific value of the pyrolysis gas supplied to the combustion chamber within a predetermined range. This makes it possible to maintain a stable combustion state. In addition, the pyrolysis gas that is not supplied to the combustion chamber can be used to manufacture chemical products.

[0049] A biofuel production system (2) according to a fourth aspect of the present disclosure, in any of the first to third aspects, includes a desulfurization device (22) for reducing sulfur oxides contained in the dry distillation gas, and supplies the desulfurized dry distillation gas to the combustion chamber.

[0050] According to the above aspect, it is possible to supply to the combustion chamber dry distillation gas containing a reduced level of sulfur oxide, which is a harmful component.

[0051] A biofuel production system (2) according to a fifth aspect of the present disclosure, in any of the second to fourth aspects, includes an analysis means (30) for analyzing components contained in the pyrolysis gas, and a gas discharge piping (24) for discharging the pyrolysis gas to a gas recovery device that recovers the pyrolysis gas, and when the chemical production mode is set, the control means (42) controls the adjustment means (25) so that the amount of a predetermined component contained in the pyrolysis gas discharged to the gas recovery device is within a predetermined range.

[0052] According to the above-mentioned embodiment, it is possible to stabilize the quality of the raw chemical product produced from the pyrolysis gas. In addition, the pyrolysis gas that is not supplied to the gas recovery device can be supplied to the combustion chamber as fuel. This allows the pyrolysis gas to be used effectively.

[0053] A biofuel production system (2) according to a sixth aspect of the present disclosure, in any of the first to fifth aspects, includes an analysis means (30) for analyzing components contained in the dry distillation gas, and the control means (43) estimates the degree of carbonization of the biofuel from the analysis results of the analysis means (30) and determines the operating time of the pyrolysis furnace required to reach a desired degree of carbonization based on the degree of carbonization.

[0054] According to the above aspect, the degree of carbonization of the biofuel is estimated, and the operating time of the pyrolysis furnace required to reach the desired degree of carbonization is determined based on the degree of carbonization, making it possible to produce biofuel of stable quality.

[0055] A biofuel production system (2) according to a seventh aspect of the present disclosure, in any of the first to sixth aspects, includes a temperature measuring means (29) that measures the temperature inside the pyrolysis furnace, and the control means (42) controls the amount of the pyrolysis gas supplied to the combustion chamber (14) so ​​that the measured temperature is within a predetermined temperature range.

[0056] According to the above aspect, it is possible to control the temperature inside the pyrolysis furnace within an appropriate temperature range.

[0057] A biofuel production system (2) according to an eighth aspect of the present disclosure is the seventh aspect, wherein an upper limit of the predetermined temperature range is set to a temperature at which contaminants or impurities contained in the biomass feedstock do not melt.

[0058] According to the above aspect, it is possible to prevent the impurities or contaminants contained in the biomass raw material from melting. This allows the impurities or contaminants to be discharged from the pyrolysis furnace in a solid state. As a result, it is possible to prevent the impurities or contaminants from melting and adhering to the inside of the pyrolysis furnace, which may cause deterioration of the device.

[0059] A biofuel production system (2) according to a ninth aspect of the present disclosure is any of the first to eighth aspects, and includes a drying device (11) that dries a biomass raw material, and an exhaust gas piping (26) that supplies combustion exhaust gas discharged from the combustion chamber (14) to the drying device (11) as a heat source.

[0060] According to the above aspect, it is possible to supply the heat of the combustion exhaust gas generated by burning the fuel in the combustion chamber as a heat source to the drying device. This makes it possible to effectively utilize the energy generated in the biofuel production process. As a result, it is possible to operate the biofuel production system with as little energy supply as possible from outside.

[0061] A biofuel production system (2) according to a tenth aspect of the present disclosure is the ninth aspect, wherein the exhaust gas piping (26) is provided with a denitrification device (27) or a desulfurization device (22).

[0062] According to the above aspect, it is possible to reduce environmental impact factors (for example, NOx) contained in the combustion exhaust gas.

[0063] A biofuel production system (2) according to an eleventh aspect of the present disclosure, in any of the first to tenth aspects, includes a maintenance management means (44) that predicts a remaining life of the biofuel production system (2) based on operation information of the biofuel production system (2) and manages maintenance based on the predicted remaining life.

[0064] According to the above aspect, it is possible to perform maintenance of the biofuel production system at an appropriate time.

[0065] A biofuel production system (2) according to a twelfth aspect of the present disclosure is any of the first to eleventh aspects, further comprising a liquid component extraction means (31) for extracting a liquid component from the biomass feedstock.

[0066] According to the above embodiment, it is possible to extract liquid components such as wood vinegar oil and bamboo vinegar oil from biomass raw materials, thereby enabling the effective use of biomass raw materials.

[0067] A biofuel production method according to a thirteenth aspect of the present disclosure includes a biofuel production system (2) capable of producing biofuel from a biomass feedstock, the biofuel production system including a pyrolysis furnace (13) that pyrolyzes the biomass feedstock using heat supplied from a combustion chamber (14), and a gas supply pipe (21) that supplies the pyrolysis gas generated in the pyrolysis furnace as fuel to the combustion chamber, and has a plurality of operating modes according to uses of the pyrolysis gas. When any one of the plurality of operating modes is set, the amount of the pyrolysis gas supplied to the combustion chamber is adjusted according to the set operating mode.

[0068] A biofuel production vehicle (1) according to a fourteenth aspect of the present disclosure is a vehicle equipped with a biofuel production system (2) according to any one of the first to twelfth aspects. [Explanation of symbols]

[0069] 1: Biofuel production vehicle 2: Biofuel production system 3: Conveyor 4: Crane 5: Drone 11:Drying equipment 12: Crusher 13:Pyrolysis furnace 14: Combustion chamber 20: Collection container 21: Gas supply pipe 22: Desulfurization equipment 23: Gas recovery device 24: Gas exhaust piping 25: Distribution adjustment valve (adjustment means) 26: Exhaust gas piping 27: Denitration equipment 28:Heat exchanger 29: Temperature sensor (temperature measurement means) 30: Analyzer (analysis means) 31:Liquid component extraction section (liquid component extraction means) 32: Input section 40: System control device 41: Mode setting unit (mode setting means) 42: Valve control section (control means) 43: Operation control unit (control means) 44: Maintenance management section (maintenance management means)

Claims

1. A biofuel production system capable of producing biofuel from a biomass feedstock, a pyrolysis furnace that pyrolyzes the biomass raw material using heat supplied from the combustion chamber; a gas supply pipe for supplying the dry distillation gas generated in the pyrolysis furnace to the combustion chamber as fuel; A mode setting means for setting one of a plurality of operation modes according to an application of the dry distillation gas; An adjusting means for adjusting the amount of the carbonization gas supplied to the combustion chamber; A control means for controlling the adjustment means in accordance with the set operation mode; A biofuel production system comprising:

2. The plurality of operation modes include a combustion mode in which the dry distillation gas is used as fuel and combusted in the combustion chamber, and a chemical production mode in which a chemical raw material is produced from the dry distillation gas, The biofuel production system according to claim 1 , wherein the control means increases the amount of the dry distillation gas supplied to the combustion chamber in the combustion mode compared to the amount of the dry distillation gas supplied to the combustion chamber in the other operating modes.

3. The biofuel production system according to claim 2 , wherein the control means controls the adjustment means so that the heat value of the dry distillation gas in the combustion chamber is within a predetermined range when the combustion mode is set.

4. A desulfurization device is provided for reducing sulfur oxides contained in the dry distillation gas, The biofuel production system according to claim 1 , wherein the desulfurized dry distillation gas is supplied to the combustion chamber.

5. An analysis means for analyzing components contained in the dry distillation gas; a gas exhaust pipe for exhausting the dry distillation gas to a gas recovery device that recovers the dry distillation gas; Equipped with The biofuel production system described in claim 2, wherein the control means controls the adjustment means when the chemical production mode is set so that the amount of a predetermined component contained in the dry distillation gas discharged to the gas recovery device is within a predetermined range.

6. An analysis means for analyzing components contained in the dry distillation gas is provided, The biofuel production system according to claim 1, wherein the control means estimates the degree of carbonization of the biofuel from the analysis results of the analysis means, and determines the operating time of the pyrolysis furnace required to reach a desired degree of carbonization based on the degree of carbonization.

7. A temperature measuring means for measuring a temperature inside the pyrolysis furnace is provided, The biofuel production system according to claim 1 , wherein the control means controls the amount of the dry distillation gas supplied to the combustion chamber so that the measured temperature falls within a predetermined temperature range.

8. The biofuel production system according to claim 7 , wherein an upper limit of the predetermined temperature range is set to a temperature at which contaminants or impurities contained in the biomass feedstock do not melt.

9. A drying device is provided for drying the biomass raw material. The biofuel production system according to claim 1 , further comprising an exhaust gas pipe for supplying the combustion exhaust gas discharged from the combustion chamber to the drying device as a heat source.

10. The biofuel production system according to claim 9 , wherein the exhaust gas piping is provided with a denitrification device or a desulfurization device.

11. The biofuel production system according to claim 1, further comprising a maintenance management means for predicting the remaining life of the biofuel production system based on operating information of the biofuel production system, and managing maintenance based on the predicted remaining life prediction result.

12. The biofuel production system according to claim 1 , further comprising a liquid component extraction means for extracting a liquid component from the biomass feedstock.

13. A biofuel production system capable of producing biofuel from biomass raw materials, The biofuel production system includes a pyrolysis furnace that pyrolyzes a biomass raw material using heat supplied from a combustion chamber, and a gas supply pipe that supplies a dry distillation gas generated in the pyrolysis furnace to the combustion chamber as fuel, A biofuel production method having a plurality of operating modes according to the use of the dry distillation gas, and when any one of the plurality of operating modes is set, adjusting the amount of the dry distillation gas supplied to the combustion chamber according to the set operating mode.

14. A biofuel production vehicle equipped with the biofuel production system according to any one of claims 1 to 12.

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