Organic material and organic material carbonization device

Abstract

To provide an organic material carbonization device capable of reliably agitating an organic waste and a catalyst as objects to be treated and capable of keeping the objects to be treated at a predetermined temperature such that the organic waste and the catalyst can efficiently react with each other.SOLUTION: Provided is a device that heats and agitates an organic waste and a catalyst that have been input therein, to carbonize the organic waste. The device includes: an input port 6 through which the organic waste and the catalyst are input; a treatment furnace 1 provided in a frame 7 in a lower part of the input port 6 in an inclined posture in which a communication port 15 faces upward; a rotation shaft 2 that pivotally supports the treatment furnace 1; a drive device 3 that is connected to the rotation shaft 2 and allows the rotation shaft 2 to rotate selectively in forward and reverse rotation directions; and a heating part 3 that is provided in the outer periphery of the treatment furnace 1 and heats the inside of the treatment furnace 1, on the frame 7. A first agitation blade 11 having a spiral shape is provided in an inner wall surface of the treatment furnace 1.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an apparatus for catalytically carbonizing organic waste such as woody plants, herbaceous plants, food waste, and livestock excrement, and relates to an apparatus for carbonizing organic matter and organic waste that can improve carbonization efficiency. [Background technology]

[0002] Various devices have been developed as methods for treating organic waste. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an organic matter treatment device that dries organic matter such as food waste stored in a treatment furnace using agitation means and air blowing means.

[0003] Furthermore, for example, Patent Document 2 has previously proposed a food waste heating and sterilization device in which a vertical rotating shaft is installed on the bottom plate inside the treatment furnace, stirring blades are fixed to the rotating shaft, fixed blades are fixed to the inner surface of the treatment furnace, steam nozzles are installed inside the treatment furnace to supply steam for heating and sterilizing food waste including garbage, and a steam chamber is installed on the outer surface of the treatment furnace to supply steam for heating and sterilizing the inside of the treatment furnace and the food waste.

[0004] Furthermore, in recent years, in order to improve the decomposition processing capacity of organic waste, a technology has been proposed that relates to catalysts and microorganisms that are put into a processing furnace together with organic waste (see Patent Document 3).

[0005] In recent years, biomass fuels made from plant-based (woody and herbaceous) agricultural waste have been attracting attention as a means of combating global warming and making effective use of waste. Generally, the plant-based raw materials used are woody biomass, including cedar, cypress, and bamboo, and herbaceous biomass, including annual and perennial herbs, with construction waste and forest residues also sometimes used. Additionally, herbaceous biomass, such as rice straw, rice husks, and wheat straw, is used as agricultural waste biomass. All of these are cellulosic biomass, and are carbonized using the same processing methods as the organic waste described above to be used as fuel pellets. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-89832 [Patent Document 2] Patent Publication No. 2021-186426 [Patent Document 3] Patent No. 7182829 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] However, when organic waste was treated by adding a catalyst such as that shown in Patent Document 3 to treatment devices such as those shown in Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2, the carbonization treatment could not be carried out as expected. Although Patent Document 3 also shows that a certain time and temperature are required to ensure that the organic waste and the catalyst react and carbonize, actual organic waste does not have a certain shape or certain characteristics, and as a result, the carbonization treatment was insufficient with existing treatment devices.

[0008] The present invention has been developed in consideration of the above-mentioned conventional devices, and aims to provide an organic waste carbonization device that can reliably agitate the materials to be treated and maintain the materials at a predetermined temperature so that the organic waste and catalyst can react efficiently. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] Therefore, the present invention is an apparatus for carbonizing organic waste by adding organic waste and a catalyst and heating and stirring the same, and its first feature is that it comprises an inlet into which the organic waste and catalyst are added, a treatment furnace below the inlet with a communication port facing upward at an angle, a rotating shaft that rotatably supports the treatment furnace, a drive unit connected to the rotating shaft and capable of selectively rotating the rotating shaft in forward and reverse directions, a heating unit that is provided on the outer periphery of the treatment furnace and heats the inside of the treatment furnace, and is mounted on a movable base, and a spiral stirring blade is provided on the inner wall surface of the treatment furnace.

[0010] A second feature of the apparatus is that it carbonizes organic waste by adding organic waste and a catalyst and heating and stirring them, and that it comprises: a treatment furnace set in an inclined position and having an inlet through which the organic waste and catalyst are added; an exhaust mechanism connected to the inlet; a rotating shaft that rotatably supports the treatment furnace; a drive unit connected to the rotating shaft and capable of selectively rotating the rotating shaft in forward and reverse directions; and a heating unit that is set on the outer periphery of the treatment furnace and heats the inside of the treatment furnace, all of which are mounted on a movable base; a first spiral stirring blade on the inner wall surface of the treatment furnace; a treatment cylinder set at the bottom of the treatment furnace; and a second spiral stirring blade on the inner wall surface of the treatment cylinder, the first stirring blade and the second stirring blade having different spiral directions.

[0011] A third feature is that the first stirring blade and the second stirring blade are provided in a discontinuous manner. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] The present invention has the following excellent effects. (1) The processing furnace is installed in an inclined position with the communication port facing upward, and the processing furnace is equipped with stirring blades that press the inner wall surface of the processing furnace toward the communication port. Therefore, depending on the direction of rotation of the processing furnace, the material to be processed can be pressed toward the inlet while rotating, or can be accumulated at the bottom of the processing furnace, allowing for sufficient stirring within the processing furnace. (2) By providing multiple discontinuous stirring blades, the material to be treated can be prevented from accumulating on the stirring blades, allowing for uniform stirring. (3) An openable and closable cover body is provided in the gap below the feed port and the communication port. By switching the direction of rotation of the processing furnace, the materials to be processed can be accumulated at the communication port, and the materials to be processed can be easily recovered by opening and closing the cover body. (4) By providing an exhaust mechanism connected to the inlet, odors can be prevented from spreading to the surrounding area. (5) A first helical blade is provided on the inner wall of the processing furnace, and a second helical blade is provided on the inner wall of the processing tube installed at the bottom of the processing furnace. By making the spiral directions of the first helical blade and the second helical blade opposite to each other, the stirring direction within the processing furnace is made more complex, enabling carbonization processing with high stirring capacity. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic perspective view showing a first embodiment of an organic waste carbonization apparatus according to the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view seen from a direction different from that shown in FIG. [Figure 3] 1 is a schematic side view showing a first embodiment of an organic waste carbonization apparatus according to the present invention. [Figure 4] 1 is a schematic rear view showing a first embodiment of an organic waste carbonization apparatus according to the present invention. [Figure 5] 1 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA showing a first embodiment of an organic waste carbonization apparatus according to the present invention. [Figure 6] 1 is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB showing a first embodiment of an organic waste carbonization apparatus according to the present invention. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view showing a second embodiment of the organic waste carbonization apparatus according to the present invention. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a schematic perspective view seen from a direction different from that shown in FIG. 7. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a schematic side view showing a second embodiment of the organic waste carbonization apparatus according to the present invention. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line CC showing a second embodiment of the organic waste carbonization apparatus according to the present invention. [Figure 11] FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along line DD showing a second embodiment of an organic waste carbonization apparatus according to the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0014] A first embodiment of the organic waste carbonization apparatus of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 6. FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of the organic waste carbonization apparatus of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view seen from a different direction from that shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a schematic side view of the first embodiment of the organic waste carbonization apparatus of the present invention, and FIG. 4 is a schematic rear view thereof. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA of the first embodiment of the organic waste carbonization apparatus of the present invention, and FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB. In the drawings of the present invention, the position viewed from the opening side of the inlet is defined as the front, the position viewed from FIG. 3 is defined as the side, and the position viewed from FIG. 4 is defined as the back. Furthermore, organic waste in the present invention includes agricultural waste and refers to woody plants, herbaceous plants, food waste, livestock excrement, etc., and any organic waste can be carbonized.

[0015] As shown in Fig. 1, the organic waste carbonization apparatus of the first embodiment of the present invention comprises a treatment furnace 1 inclined with an inlet 6 for introducing organic waste and a catalyst facing upward, a rotating shaft 2 supporting the treatment furnace 1, a drive unit 3 connected to the rotating shaft 2 and capable of selectively rotating the rotating shaft forward and backward, and a heating unit 4 attached to the outer periphery of the treatment furnace 1 and heating the interior of the treatment furnace, all of which are fixed to a base 7 made of a combination of steel and steel plates. The treatment furnace 1 is supported by the rotating shaft 2, but due to the lack of strength of the rotating shaft 2, a roller support unit 5 is attached below the treatment furnace 1 to more firmly support the treatment furnace 1 for rotation. Normally, a metal cover is attached to the base 7 to completely cover it, but for the sake of convenience in explaining the internal structure, this metal cover is not shown in the specification.

[0016] Organic waste and a catalyst are fed into the treatment furnace 1 through an inlet 6. The organic waste to be fed can be any organic waste, such as food waste from ordinary households or from restaurants and food businesses, and is selected appropriately based on the catalyst. The catalyst may be one of the types described in Patent Document 3, as well as various other catalysts such as activated carbon, or may be, for example, microorganisms or fungi that undergo fermentation. In this specification, the organic waste and catalyst are not limited, and the organic waste may be in any shape or form as long as it can be carbonized. In this specification, the organic waste and catalyst fed into the organic waste carbonization device together will be referred to as the material to be treated.

[0017] As shown in Figures 1 to 6, the treatment furnace 1 is a rotatably supported, approximately cylindrical metal drum. It is fixedly mounted while maintaining a tilted posture at a predetermined angle. A loading port 6 is provided at the top of the first side of the treatment furnace 1. A lid 61 is attached to the top of the loading port 6 so that it can be opened and closed vertically using a hinge or the like. An inverted trapezoidal space consisting of a loading chamber 62 is provided below the loading port 6. A communication port 15, which is provided at the upper end of the treatment furnace 1, is located at the lower end of the loading chamber 62. With this structure, the workpieces loaded through the loading port 6 are loaded into the treatment furnace 1 through the communication port 15. A removal cover 16 is provided in the gap between the communication port 15 and the loading chamber 62 to cover the adjacent portions. The rotation direction of the treatment furnace 1 presses the workpieces in the treatment furnace 1 against the communication port 15, and the removal cover 16 can be opened and closed to easily remove the workpieces, while preventing the contents of the treatment furnace 1 from scattering due to the rotation of the treatment furnace 1. The removal cover 16 is a curved metal plate, and both ends thereof are rotatably supported by hinges or the like on arms provided on the processing furnace 1 .

[0018] Within the processing furnace 1, multiple first agitating blades 11 are fixed at predetermined intervals along the inner wall surface of the processing furnace 1. The multiple first agitating blades 11 are arranged in a virtual spiral that, when connected together, forms a single spiral. Each first agitating blade 11 gradually widens from one end to the other, i.e., from the start point of the first agitating blade 11 to the end point (from the bottom of the processing furnace 1 toward the inlet 6). In other words, it is a metal plate whose width increases from the ground surface upward, in the opposite direction to the inclination of the processing furnace 1. As mentioned above, the direction of travel of the workpiece differs depending on the rotation direction of the processing furnace 1. By increasing the width of the first agitating blades 11 upward from the ground surface and by configuring them from multiple blades, the processing furnace 1 can be rotated to both agitate the workpiece and transport it in one direction.

[0019] A disk 12 that closes the processing furnace 1 is provided at the bottom side of the processing furnace 1, and the rotating shaft 2 is fixed to the outer surface of the disk 12 via multiple plates 13. The multiple plates 13 are gradually inclined from the center of the disk 12 toward the outer periphery, firmly fixing the first side of the rotating shaft 2 to the disk 12. A drive unit 3 is fixed to a frame 7 at the other end of the rotating shaft 2, and the drive unit 3 rotates the rotating shaft 2 and the processing furnace 1. The drive unit 3 is composed of a pulley fixed to the tip of the other end of the rotating shaft 2, a drive motor operated by commercial power, and a chain stretched between the drive pulley and the pulley. The configuration of the drive unit 3 may be any configuration that can selectively rotate the rotating shaft 2 in the forward or reverse direction, and is not particularly limited to the configuration of this embodiment.

[0020] A heating unit 4 is provided from the central to lower peripheral surface of the treatment furnace 1. In this embodiment, the heating unit 4 is composed of a thermocouple bracket and a cover wound around the circumference of the treatment furnace 1. It is preferable that a predetermined gap be provided between the heating unit 4 and the outer periphery of the treatment furnace 1 so that the heating unit 4 does not rotate with the rotation of the treatment furnace 1, and that the heating unit 4 is not fixed to the outer periphery of the treatment furnace 1. More preferably, the heating unit 4 is capable of maintaining the temperature inside the treatment furnace 1 at 80°C to 140°C for a predetermined period of time. The heating unit 4 may be configured in any way as long as it can heat the treatment furnace 1 without interfering with the rotation of the treatment furnace 1. For example, the heating unit 4 may be configured to heat the treatment furnace 1 with warm air using an air compressor or, for example, an electric heating wire may be provided around the treatment furnace 1; however, the configuration is not particularly limited to that of this embodiment.

[0021] A roller unit 5 is fixed to a stand 7 at the bottom of the processing furnace 1 on the side of the loading port 6. The roller unit 5 supports the processing furnace 1 in a rotatable state. The roller unit 5 is configured by attaching the periphery of a cylindrical part to the outer periphery of the processing furnace 1 and employing an idler mechanism with a built-in bearing. Normally, an idler mechanism is used for transmitting power, but in the present invention, it is used as a mechanism that can support the processing furnace 1 without interfering with its rotation. As such, the roller unit 5 may have any configuration as long as it can rotatably support the processing furnace 1, and is not particularly limited to the form of this embodiment.

[0022] The stand 7 is constructed by assembling steel members such as L-shaped steel bars into a box shape. Casters and rod-shaped legs are fixed to the bottom of the stand 7. This makes it easy to move and set up the organic waste carbonization device. For convenience, the metal cover is not shown in the specification, but a steel plate is usually fixed as the exterior of the stand 7. In addition, a control device and an operation board that control the operating time of the organic waste carbonization device are mounted on the stand 7 along with the metal cover, but since it is self-evident that the mechanism of the present invention will be equipped with these instruments, detailed explanations and illustrations will be omitted.

[0023] Next, a second embodiment of the organic waste carbonization apparatus of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 7 to 11. Figure 7 is a schematic perspective view showing the second embodiment of the organic waste carbonization apparatus of the present invention, and Figure 8 is a schematic perspective view seen from a different direction from the direction shown in Figure 7. Figure 9 is a schematic side view showing the second embodiment of the organic waste carbonization apparatus of the present invention, Figure 10 is a cross-sectional view taken along line CC showing the second embodiment of the organic waste carbonization apparatus of the present invention, and Figure 11 is a cross-sectional view taken along line DD showing the second embodiment of the organic waste carbonization apparatus of the present invention. In describing this embodiment, the same parts as in the first embodiment will be assigned the same reference numerals, and the following description will mainly focus on the differences from the first embodiment.

[0024] In the second embodiment, a disk-shaped lid 63 is directly attached to the open end of the processing furnace 1. The lid 63 is fixed to the outer periphery of the communication port 15 protruding from the surface of the processing furnace 1 using a hinge or the like so that it can be opened and closed. An exhaust hole 631 is provided in the center of the lid 63. Similar to the first embodiment, an openable lid 61 is provided at the top of one side of the processing furnace 1. The lid 61 has a handle 611 on the side and an exhaust port 612 on the top. An exhaust pipe 613 connected to the exhaust port 612 is attached to the underside of the lid 61, and its tip has a predetermined angle. The exhaust pipe 613 can be a heat-resistant resin pipe, but it can also be made of a steel pipe. The exhaust hole 631 protruding from the outer surface of the lid 63 has a threaded tip, and threaded connection to the exhaust pipe 613 increases the airtightness of the processing furnace 1.

[0025] When loading the material to be treated, lid 61 is opened, and then lid 63 is opened to expose communication port 15, and the material to be treated is loaded directly through communication port 15. By closing lid 63 and then lid 61, the tip of exhaust pipe 613 is screwed onto the protruding tip of exhaust hole 631. This structure allows odors within treatment furnace 1 to be released from exhaust port 612. By releasing odors within treatment furnace 1 in a fixed direction in this way, it can be said that this embodiment has improved odor release performance compared to the first embodiment.

[0026] In the second embodiment, the internal structure of the treatment furnace 1 is different from that of the first embodiment. The first stirring blade 11 is the same as in the first embodiment, but as shown in Figures 10 and 11, a treatment tube 8 is provided at the bottom of the treatment furnace 1. The diameter of the treatment tube 8 is approximately the same as the radius of the treatment furnace 1, and the cores of the treatment furnace 1 and the treatment tube 8 are arranged on the same line, giving the entire treatment furnace 1 a double-tube structure. A core body 81 is provided in the treatment tube 8, and the treatment tube 8 and the core body 81 rotate as the treatment furnace 1 rotates.

[0027] Inside the processing tube 8, multiple second agitating blades 82 are fixed at predetermined intervals along the inner wall surface of the processing tube 8. The multiple second agitating blades 82 are arranged in a virtual spiral that, when connected together, forms a single spiral, and each second agitating blade 82 gradually widens from one end to the other, i.e., from the start point of the second agitating blade 82 to the end point (from the inlet 6 of the processing furnace 1 to the furnace bottom). In other words, it is a metal plate whose width widens from above toward the ground surface along the inclination direction of the processing furnace 1. Furthermore, the spiral direction of the second agitating blade 82 is different from that of the first agitating blade 11. Although the spiral direction is not limited to that shown in the figure, it is preferable that the spiral directions of the first stirring blade 11 and the second stirring blade 82 are opposite to each other, so that, for example, when the first stirring blade 11 is configured as a left-handed spiral, the second stirring blade 82 is configured as a right-handed spiral. This allows the material to be imparted with a more complex movement when being stirred in the processing furnace 1, improving the stirring capacity.

[0028] In the second embodiment, the rotating shaft 2, the driving unit 3, the heating unit 4, the roller receiving unit 5, and the stand 7 have the same structures as in the first embodiment, and therefore detailed description thereof will be omitted. As described above, the main differences between the first embodiment and the second embodiment are the exhaust mechanism provided near the inlet 6 and the internal structure of the processing furnace 1. Therefore, in the second embodiment, the main improvements are the exhaust capacity and the stirring capacity compared to the first embodiment.

[0029] In the organic waste carbonization device configured as described above, the material to be treated is fed into the feed port 6, and the material is agitated and carbonized while the treatment furnace 1 is rotated forward (or backward) and heated. After the carbonization process, the material can be scraped out from the upper side of the treatment furnace 1 by rotating the treatment furnace 1 backward, and the carbonized material can be easily removed. [Explanation of symbols]

[0030] 1 Processing furnace 2 rotation axes 3 Drive unit 4 Heating section 5 Roller support 6 Inlet 7 Mounting stand 8 Processing tube 11 First stirring blade 12 Disc section 13 Plate 15 Connecting port 16 Removal cover 61 Lid 62 Loading room 63 Lid 82 Second stirring blade

Claims

1. This is an apparatus for carbonizing organic waste by feeding organic waste and a catalyst into the apparatus and heating and stirring the same, comprising: an inlet into which the organic waste and catalyst are fed; a treatment furnace below the inlet with a communication port facing upward at an angle; a rotating shaft that rotatably supports the treatment furnace; a drive unit connected to the rotating shaft and capable of selectively rotating the rotating shaft in forward and reverse directions; a heating unit that is provided on the outer periphery of the treatment furnace and heats the inside of the treatment furnace, the heating unit being mounted on a movable base; and a spiral stirring blade on the inner wall surface of the treatment furnace.

2. an exhaust mechanism connected to the inlet; a rotary shaft that rotatably supports the treatment furnace; a drive unit connected to the rotary shaft and capable of selectively rotating the rotary shaft in forward and reverse directions; a heating unit that is mounted on the outer periphery of the treatment furnace and heats the inside of the treatment furnace, all mounted on a movable base; a first spiral stirring blade on the inner wall surface of the treatment furnace; a treatment tube mounted on the bottom of the treatment furnace; and a second spiral stirring blade on the inner wall surface of the treatment tube, the first stirring blade and the second stirring blade having different spiral directions.

3. 3. The organic waste carbonization apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of first agitating blades and a plurality of second agitating blades are provided discontinuously.

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