Carbonization furnace, and method of controlling the same

Abstract

To provide a carbonization furnace capable of obtaining carbonized matter with a desired particle size.SOLUTION: A carbonization furnace 1A comprises: crushing gearwheels 7 for crushing to-be-carbonized matter W; a carbonization chamber 5b for carbonizing the crushed to-be-carbonized matter W; and a controller for adjusting crushing parameters that control a crushing state of the to-be-carbonized matter W crushed by the crushing gearwheels 7. As the crushing parameters, a rotation speed and / or a gap GP of the crushing gearwheels 7 are used. As measurement parts, an analysis unit AT1 for analyzing the to-be-carbonized matter W crushed by the crushing gearwheels 7, and / or an analysis unit AT3 for analyzing product coal W1 carbonized in the carbonization chamber 5b, and / or an analysis unit AT2 for analyzing gas in the carbonization chamber 5b; and / or a temperature sensor TX1 for measuring a temperature in the carbonization chamber are provided. The controller adjusts the crushing parameters on the basis of a result of the measurement parts.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a carbonization furnace and a control method thereof. [Background technology]

[0002] A carbonization furnace is known that obtains a carbonized material by dry distilling a material to be carbonized, such as woody biomass (Patent Document 1). Patent Document 1 discloses that a combustion gas is caused to flow around the outside of a carbonization chamber, and the woody biomass raw material stored in a carbonization tray inside the carbonization chamber is heated by radiant heat and carbonized. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2018-21173 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In Patent Document 1, woody biomass raw materials are placed in a carbonization tray and carbonized, and the carbonization tray is removed when carbonization is complete. In this method, the particle size (particle size) of the carbonized material depends on the shape and size of the woody biomass raw materials before carbonization when placed in the carbonization tray. However, the particle size of the carbonized material differs depending on the demand destination, such as agricultural fertilizer or fuel, so it is necessary to produce carbonized material of the desired particle size.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and aims to provide a carbonization furnace and a control method thereof that can obtain carbonized material of a desired particle size. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A carbonization furnace according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes a crushing section that crushes the carbonized material, a carbonization chamber that carbonizes the crushed carbonized material, and a control section that adjusts crushing parameters that control the crushing state of the carbonized material crushed in the crushing section.

[0007] A control method for a carbonization furnace according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is a control method for a carbonization furnace having a crushing section that crushes the carbonized material and a carbonization chamber that carbonizes the crushed carbonized material, and adjusts crushing parameters that control the crushing state of the carbonized material crushed in the crushing section. Effect of the Invention

[0008] The desired particle size of the carbide can be obtained. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a carbonization furnace according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. [Diagram 2] FIG. 4 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a carbonization furnace according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. [First embodiment] Hereinafter, a first embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to FIG. A carbonization furnace 1A of the present embodiment is shown in Fig. 1. Note that the carbonization furnace of the present disclosure includes not only a carbonization furnace that produces biochar from a biomass raw material, but also a reactor that produces a biofuel from a biomass raw material.

[0011] The carbonization furnace 1A is fixed to a loading platform 3a of the vehicle 3. The carbonization furnace 1A may be detachable from the loading platform 3a.

[0012] The carbonization furnace 1A includes a container 5 capable of forming an enclosed space, and a feeding hopper 6 provided on the upper portion of the container 5 and feeding a material to be carbonized W, which is a biomass raw material. For example, wood-based material is used as the biomass raw material.

[0013] The container 5 is capable of being supplied with the material to be carbonized W, and includes a crushing chamber 5a and a carbonization chamber 5b. The crushing chamber 5a is provided above the carbonization chamber 5b, and is separated by a partition wall 5c. A communication part 5d is formed on the side (right side in FIG. 1) of the partition wall 5c, through which the crushing chamber 5a and the carbonization chamber 5b communicate with each other. The material to be carbonized W is supplied to the carbonization chamber 5b below through the communication part 5d.

[0014] The crushing chamber 5a is provided with a crushing gear (crushing section) 7. The crushing gear 7 crushes the material W to be carbonized before drying to a desired particle size. The crushing gear 7 has a driving gear 7a and a driven gear 7b meshing with the driving gear 7a. The material W to be carbonized is sandwiched between the driving gear 7a and the driven gear 7b and crushed. The driving gear 7a is driven by a driving motor M1. The rotation speed (crushing parameter) of the driving motor M1 is controlled by a control unit (not shown). The center distance between the driving gear 7a and the driven gear 7b can be adjusted by a driving mechanism (not shown), and thus the minimum gap (crushing parameter) GP between the driving gear 7a and the driven gear 7b is controlled by the control unit. It should be noted that other types of crushing units, such as rollers or screws, may be used instead of the crushing gear 7. When a roller is used, the surface pressure applied to the roller is controlled by the control unit.

[0015] The pulverization chamber 5a is provided with an analysis section (measurement section) AT1. The analysis section AT1 analyzes the carbonized material W. The output of the analysis section AT1 is transmitted to the control section. The analysis section AT1 analyzes the grain size (particle size) of the carbonized material W pulverized in the pulverization chamber 5a. The analysis section AT1 may also analyze the moisture content, fixed carbon, volatile components, etc.

[0016] The carbonization chamber 5b is provided with a belt conveyor 15. The belt conveyor 15 extends horizontally, and the upstream side (the right side in FIG. 1) is located below the communication part 5d provided in the crushing chamber 5a. As a result, the material W to be carbonized pulverized by the crushing gear 7 is guided onto the belt conveyor 15. The belt conveyor 15 includes an endless belt 15a and a plurality of rollers 15b around which the belt 15a is wound. The belt 15a is in a mesh shape capable of holding the material W to be carbonized and allowing air to pass through, and is, for example, a wire mesh. The rollers 15b are rotated by a drive motor M2, and the rotation speed is controlled by a control unit.

[0017] The carbonization chamber 5b is provided with a plurality of air supply units (oxidizer supply units) not shown. The air ratio in the carbonization chamber 5b is adjusted by the air supplied from the air supply units. Note that other oxidizers such as water vapor may be used instead of air. The carbonization chamber 5b is in an oxygen-deficient state with an air ratio of, for example, about 0.6 to 0.7, whereby partial combustion of the material W to be carbonized is performed. Carbonization of the material W to be carbonized progresses while it is transported in the direction of the arrow A1 by the belt conveyor 15. Note that in the figure, the symbol FL indicates a flame.

[0018] The coking chamber 5b is provided with a temperature sensor (measurement unit) TX1 that measures the internal gas temperature. The output of the temperature sensor TX1 is transmitted to the control unit. The coking chamber 5b is also provided with an analysis unit (measurement unit) AT2 that performs internal gas analysis. The output of the analysis unit AT2 is transmitted to the control unit. The analysis unit AT2 analyzes the concentrations of water vapor, hydrogen, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and hydrocarbons such as methane.

[0019] A product coal removal section 17 is provided for removing and storing the product coal from the carbonization chamber 5b after carbonization in the carbonization chamber 5b. The product coal removal section 17 is provided with an analysis section AT3 that performs solid component analysis of the product coal (carbonized material) W1. The analysis section AT3 analyzes the grain size of the product coal W1. The output of the analysis section AT3 is transmitted to the control section. The analysis section AT3 may also analyze the amount of fixed carbon, etc.

[0020] The control unit is composed of, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a RAM (Random Access Memory), a ROM (Read Only Memory), and a computer-readable storage medium. A series of processes for realizing various functions is stored in a storage medium or the like in the form of a program, for example, and the CPU reads this program into the RAM or the like and executes information processing and arithmetic processing to realize various functions. The program may be installed in a ROM or other storage medium in advance, may be provided in a state stored in a computer-readable storage medium, or may be distributed via a wired or wireless communication means. The computer-readable storage medium may be a magnetic disk, a magneto-optical disk, a CD-ROM, a DVD-ROM, a semiconductor memory, or the like.

[0021] <Control method of carbonization furnace 1A> Next, a method for controlling the carbonization furnace 1A having the above configuration will be described. First, the material W to be carbonized before drying is fed from the feeding hopper 6 into the crushing chamber 5a of the container 5. The material W to be carbonized fed from the feeding hopper 6 into the crushing chamber 5a is crushed by the crushing gear 7. The rotation speed of the crushing gear 7 and the gap GP between the driving gear 7a and the driven gear 7b are controlled by the control unit. The control unit sets, for example, the gap GP and / or the rotation speed of the crushing gear 7 corresponding to the particle size required for the product coal W1. In addition, the rotation speed of the crushing gear 7 is set so as to correspond to the carbonization processing capacity per unit time, i.e., the production volume required for the product coal W1.

[0022] The particle size of the material W to be carbonized after being pulverized by the pulverizing gear 7 and before being carbonized is measured by the analysis unit AT1 provided in the pulverizing chamber 5a. The control unit compares the measured particle size with a set value and performs feedback control of the gap GP of the pulverizing gear 7. Specifically, if the measured particle size is smaller than the set value, the gap GP is increased, and if the measured particle size is larger than the set value, the gap is decreased. In addition, the particle size of the material W to be carbonized may be controlled by changing the rotation speed of the pulverizing gear 7 to adjust the shear force.

[0023] The material W to be carbonized pulverized by the pulverizing gear 7 is guided to the belt conveyor 15 provided in the carbonization chamber 5b through the communication part 5d. The material W to be carbonized is ignited while moving in the carbonization chamber 5b by the belt conveyor 15, and partial combustion is performed under oxygen deficiency. Ignition is performed using an ignition part (not shown) at the beginning of startup, but after startup, ignition is performed without using an ignition part when the temperature in the carbonization chamber 5b reaches the ignition temperature. The air ratio in the carbonization chamber 5b is, for example, about 0.6 to 0.7. Carbonization of the material W to be carbonized progresses as it is transported by the belt conveyor 15.

[0024] The control unit performs feedback control on the pulverizing gear 7 according to the measured value of the analysis unit AT2 and / or the temperature sensor TX1 provided in the carbonization chamber 5b. For example, when the concentration of carbon dioxide measured by the analysis unit AT2 is greater than the set value, it can be determined that the combustion of the carbonized material W has progressed more than necessary and that there is a margin in the carbonization processing capacity, so the rotation speed of the pulverizing gear 7 is increased to increase the amount of the carbonized material W to be pulverized. However, since increasing the rotation speed of the pulverizing gear 7 may secondarily reduce the particle size of the carbonized material W and cause the combustion to progress, the gap GP is adjusted to be larger at the same time as a complement. In addition, when the temperature measured by the temperature sensor TX1 is greater than the set value, it can be determined that the combustion of the carbonized material W has progressed more than necessary and that there is a margin in the carbonization processing capacity, so the rotation speed of the pulverizing gear 7 is increased to increase the amount of the carbonized material W to be pulverized. However, as described above, increasing the rotation speed of the pulverizing gear 7 may result in a secondary reduction in the particle size of the material to be carbide W, which may lead to further combustion. Therefore, at the same time, the gap GP is adjusted to be larger as a complementary measure.

[0025] The carbonized material W that has been carbonized in the carbonization chamber 5b is collected as product coal W1 in the product coal discharge section 17. The particle size of the product coal W1 is measured by the analysis section AT3 provided in the product coal discharge section 17. The control section compares the measured particle size with a set value and performs feedback control of the gap GP of the pulverizing gear 7 and the rotation speed of the pulverizing gear 7. Specifically, if the measured particle size is smaller than the set value, the gap GP is increased, and if the measured particle size is larger than the set value, the gap is decreased. On the other hand, as for the rotation speed of the pulverizing gear 7, within a range in which the carbonization processing capacity per unit time of the carbonization furnace 1A, i.e., the production amount required as product coal W1, is appropriate, the rotation speed of the pulverizing gear 7 is decreased if the measured particle size is smaller than the set value, and is increased if the measured particle size is larger than the set value.

[0026] The effects of the present embodiment described above are as follows. Before being supplied to the carbonization chamber 5b, the material W to be carbonized is pulverized by the pulverizing gear 7 to adjust the particle size. There is a predetermined correlation between the particle size of the material W pulverized by the pulverizing gear 7 and the particle size of the product coal W1. Therefore, by adjusting the gap GP and the rotation speed of the pulverizing gear 7 when pulverizing with the pulverizing gear 7, product coal with the desired particle size can be obtained.

[0027] The particle size after crushing the carbonized material W depends on the rotation speed (crushing speed) of the crushing gear 7, so the particle size can be controlled by the rotation speed. For example, if the rotation speed is high, the shear force will be high and the particle size will be small. In addition, the particle size after crushing depends on the gap GP during crushing, so the particle size can be controlled by the gap GP. For example, if the gap GP is small, the particle size will be small.

[0028] The particle size of the product coal W1 can be measured or predicted by the analysis units AT1, AT2, and AT3 and the temperature sensor TX1. Based on this, the grinding parameters such as the gap GP and the rotation speed of the grinding gear 7 are adjusted, so that the product coal W1 with the desired particle size can be obtained.

[0029] In the above-described embodiment, analytical units AT1, AT2, AT3 and temperature sensor TX1 are used, but it is not necessary to use all of them. For example, it is also possible to control the particle size of the product coal W1 using only the analytical unit AT3 provided in the product coal removal section 17.

[0030] [Second embodiment] Next, a second embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to Fig. 2. This embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that a drying chamber 5e is provided. Therefore, the following mainly describes the differences, and the same components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals and their description will be omitted.

[0031] As shown in Fig. 2, the carbonization furnace 1B is provided with a drying chamber 5e below the pulverization chamber 5a and to the side (right side in Fig. 2) of the carbonization chamber 5b. In the drying chamber 5e, the material W to be carbonized pulverized by the pulverization gear 7 is dried before carbonization. The drying chamber 5e is provided with a heating means such as an electric heater (not shown) to promote drying of the material W to be carbonized.

[0032] The belt conveyor 15 is provided so as to extend from the carbonization chamber 5b to the drying chamber 5e. The number of belt conveyors 15 is not limited to one as shown in FIG. 2, and a configuration in which a plurality of belt conveyors are provided in series may be used.

[0033] An analysis unit (measurement unit) AT4 that analyzes the particle size of the carbonized material W is provided on the outlet side of the drying chamber 5e. The output of the analysis unit AT4 is transmitted to the control unit. The analysis unit AT4 analyzes the particle size of the carbonized material W dried in the drying chamber 5e. The analysis unit AT4 may also analyze the moisture content, fixed carbon, volatile components, etc.

[0034] <Control method of carbonization furnace 1B> Next, a method for controlling the carbonization furnace 1B having the above-mentioned configuration will be described. The material W to be carbonized pulverized by the pulverizing gear 7 is guided to the belt conveyor 15 provided in the drying chamber 5e through the communication part 5d. In the drying chamber 5e, the material W to be carbonized is dried while being transported by the belt conveyor 15.

[0035] At the outlet of the drying chamber 5e, the particle size of the dried material W to be carbonized is measured by the analysis unit AT4. The control unit compares the measured particle size with a set value and performs feedback control of the gap GP of the pulverizing gear 7. Specifically, if the measured particle size is smaller than the set value, the gap GP is increased, and if the measured particle size is larger than the set value, the gap is decreased. In addition, the particle size of the material W to be carbonized may be controlled by changing the rotation speed of the pulverizing gear 7 to adjust the shear force. Also, for example, at the outlet of the drying chamber 5e, the moisture content of the carbonized material W after drying is measured by the analysis unit AT4. The control unit compares the measured moisture content with a set value and performs feedback control of the gap GP. Specifically, when the measured moisture content is smaller than the set value, it can be determined that the drying capacity of the drying chamber 5e has a margin, so the gap GP is increased within a range in which the carbonized material of the desired particle size can be obtained, and the particle size of the carbonized material W is made coarse. On the other hand, when the measured moisture content is larger than the set value, it can be determined that the drying capacity of the drying chamber 5e does not have a margin, so the gap GP is decreased within a range in which the carbonized material of the desired particle size can be obtained, and the particle size of the carbonized material W is made fine. Also, the rotation speed of the pulverizing gear 7 may be changed to adjust the carbonization processing capacity per unit time, i.e., the drying amount per unit time, and the moisture content of the carbonized material W may be controlled within a range in which the carbonized material of the desired particle size can be obtained.

[0036] After being guided to the coking chamber 5b by the belt conveyor 15, the process is the same as in the first embodiment, and therefore the description thereof will be omitted.

[0037] The effects of the present embodiment described above are as follows. The particle size and components of the carbonized material W are measured by the analysis unit AT4 installed in the drying chamber 5e, and the gap and rotation speed of the grinding gear 7 are feedback-controlled. This makes it possible to obtain product coal W1 of the desired particle size in accordance with the required production volume.

[0038] The carbonization furnace and the control method thereof described in each of the above-described embodiments can be understood, for example, as follows.

[0039] The carbonization furnace (1A, 1B) according to the first aspect of the present disclosure includes a crushing section (7) for crushing the material to be carbonized (W), a carbonization chamber (5b) for carbonizing the crushed material to be carbonized (W), and a control unit for adjusting crushing parameters for controlling the crushing state of the material to be carbonized (W) crushed in the crushing section (7).

[0040] The material to be carbonized is pulverized in the pulverizing section to adjust the particle size before being supplied to the carbonization chamber. There is a predetermined correlation between the particle size of the material to be carbonized pulverized in the pulverizing section and the particle size of the carbonized material after carbonization. Therefore, by adjusting the pulverization parameters when pulverizing in the pulverizing section, it is possible to obtain carbide with the desired particle size.

[0041] In the carbonization furnace (1A, 1B) according to a second aspect of the present disclosure, in the first aspect, the crushing parameters are a crushing speed and / or a gap (GP) during crushing and / or a surface pressure during crushing.

[0042] The particle size after grinding depends on the grinding speed. For example, if the grinding speed is high, the shear force will be high and the particle size will be small. The particle size after grinding also depends on the minimum gap during grinding. For example, if the minimum gap is small, the particle size will be small.

[0043] The carbonization furnace (1A, 1B) according to the third aspect of the present disclosure, in the first or second aspect described above, is provided with, as a measurement unit, a solid analysis unit (AT1) that analyzes the carbonized material crushed in the crushing unit (7), and / or a solid analysis unit (AT3) that analyzes the carbonized material (W1) after carbonization in the carbonization chamber (5b), and / or a gas analysis unit (AT2) that analyzes the gas in the carbonization chamber (5b), and / or a temperature sensor (TX1) that measures the temperature in the carbonization chamber (5b), and the control unit adjusts the crushing parameters based on the results of the measurement unit.

[0044] The state of the carbonized material after carbonization can be measured or predicted by the measuring unit. The crushing parameters are adjusted based on the state of the carbonized material, so that carbonized material of the desired particle size can be obtained.

[0045] The carbonization furnace (1B) according to the fourth aspect of the present disclosure, in any one of the first to third aspects, is provided with a drying chamber (5e) between the crushing section (7) and the carbonization chamber (5b) for drying the carbonized material (W) after crushing, and an analysis section (AT4) for analyzing the carbonized material (W) dried in the drying chamber (5e) is provided in the drying chamber (5e) as a measurement section, and the control section adjusts the crushing parameters based on the results of the analysis section (AT4).

[0046] The analysis section can predict the state of the carbonized material after carbonization. The crushing parameters can be adjusted based on this prediction, so that carbonized material of the desired particle size can be obtained.

[0047] The carbonization furnace (1A, 1B) according to a fifth aspect of the present disclosure can be attached to a vehicle (3) in any one of the first to fourth aspects.

[0048] A control method for a carbonization furnace (1A, 1B) according to a first aspect of the present disclosure is a control method for a carbonization furnace (1A, 1B) equipped with a crushing section (7) for crushing a material to be carbonized (W) and a carbonization chamber (5b) for carbonizing the crushed material to be carbonized (W), and adjusts crushing parameters for controlling the crushed state of the material to be carbonized (W) crushed in the crushing section (7). [Explanation of symbols]

[0049] 1A,1B Carbonization furnace 3. Vehicle 3a Cargo bed 5 containers 5a Grinding chamber 5b Carbonization chamber 5c Partition wall 5d Communication part 5e Drying room 7 Crushing gear (crushing section) 7a Drive gear 7b Driven gear 15 Conveyor Belt 17 Product charcoal removal section AT1, AT2, AT3, AT4 Analysis section (measurement section) GP Gap (minimum gap, grinding parameter) M1 Drive motor TX1 Temperature sensor (measurement part) W Carbide W1 Product Charcoal (Carbide)

Claims

1. A crushing section for crushing the material to be carbonized; a carbonization chamber for carbonizing the pulverized material to be carbonized; a control unit that adjusts a pulverization parameter that controls a pulverization state of the carbonized material pulverized in the pulverization unit; A carbonization furnace equipped with:

2. The carbonization furnace according to claim 1 , wherein the crushing parameters are a crushing speed and / or a crushing gap and / or a crushing surface pressure.

3. As the measurement unit, a solid analysis unit that analyzes the carbonized material pulverized in the pulverization unit, and / or a solid analysis unit that analyzes the carbonized material after carbonization in the carbonization chamber, and / or a gas analysis unit that analyzes the gas in the carbonization chamber, and / or a temperature sensor that measures the temperature of the carbonization chamber are provided, The carbonization furnace according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit adjusts the pulverization parameters based on the results of the measurement unit.

4. A drying chamber for drying the material to be carbonized after being pulverized is provided between the pulverizing section and the carbonization chamber, As a measurement unit, an analysis unit that analyzes the carbonized material dried in the drying chamber is provided in the drying chamber, The carbonization furnace according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit adjusts the pulverization parameters based on the results of the analysis unit.

5. 2. The carbonization furnace according to claim 1, which is mountable on a vehicle.

6. A crushing section for crushing the material to be carbonized; a carbonization chamber for carbonizing the pulverized material to be carbonized; A method for controlling a carbonization furnace comprising: A method for controlling a carbonization furnace, comprising adjusting a grinding parameter for controlling the grinding state of the material to be carbonized in the grinding section.

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