Fuel production system and fuel production method

Abstract

To reduce energy used upon producing fuel.SOLUTION: The fuel production system comprises a hydrolysis device for hydrolyzing biomass to generate a reformed material, a gasification device for gasifying the reformed material to generate feedstock gas including hydrogen and carbon monoxide, a synthesis device for carrying out FT synthesis of synthesis gas including the feedstock gas to generate fuel, and a heat exchanger for exchanging heat between the synthesis device and a device for generating gas included in the synthesis gas, heating the device with heat generated when fuel is generated in the synthesis device.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] There are known technologies for producing fuel from biomass resources, etc. For example, Patent Document 1 describes the production of biojet fuel by gasifying biomass resources and subjecting the gas produced by gasification to FT synthesis. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2017-145337 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Here, there is a demand for reducing the energy used in producing fuel.

[0005] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a fuel production system and a fuel production method that can reduce the energy used in producing fuel. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The fuel production system according to the present disclosure includes a hydrolysis device that hydrolyzes biomass to produce a reformate, a gasification device that gasifies the reformate to produce a feed gas containing hydrogen and carbon monoxide, a synthesis device that performs Fischer-Tropsch (FT) synthesis of a synthesis gas containing the feed gas to produce a fuel, and a heat exchanger that exchanges heat between the synthesis device and a device for producing a gas contained in the synthesis gas, and heats the device with heat generated when the fuel is produced in the synthesis device.

[0007] The fuel production method according to the present disclosure includes the steps of hydrolyzing biomass to produce a reformate, gasifying the reformate to produce a feed gas containing hydrogen and carbon monoxide, subjecting a synthesis gas containing the feed gas to FT (Fischer-Tropsch) synthesis to produce a fuel, and heating an apparatus for producing a gas contained in the synthesis gas with heat generated during the production of the fuel. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to reduce the energy used in producing fuel. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram of a fuel production system according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the heat exchanger according to this embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating the process flow of the fuel production method according to this embodiment. [Figure 4A] FIG. 4A is a schematic block diagram of a fuel production system according to the second embodiment. [Figure 4B] FIG. 4B is a schematic block diagram of a fuel production system according to another example of the second embodiment. [Figure 5A] FIG. 5A is a schematic block diagram of a fuel production system according to a modified example of the second embodiment. [Figure 5B] FIG. 5B is a schematic block diagram of a fuel production system according to another example of the modified example of the second embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a schematic block diagram of a fuel production system according to the third embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a schematic block diagram of a fuel production system according to a first modified example of the third embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a schematic block diagram of a fuel production system according to a second modified example of the third embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a schematic block diagram of a fuel production system according to the fourth embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a schematic block diagram of a fuel production system according to a modified example of the fourth embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a schematic block diagram of a fuel production system according to the fifth embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a schematic block diagram of a fuel production system according to a modification of the fifth embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Preferred embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the present disclosure is not limited to these embodiments, and when there are multiple embodiments, the present disclosure also includes configurations in which the respective embodiments are combined.

[0011] (First embodiment) (Fuel production system) Fig. 1 is a schematic block diagram of a fuel production system according to a first embodiment. As shown in Fig. 1, the fuel production system 1 according to this embodiment includes a hydrolysis apparatus 10, a gasification apparatus 20, a synthesis apparatus 30, a purification apparatus 40, and a heat exchanger 50. The fuel production system 1 according to this embodiment is a system (equipment) that hydrolyzes biomass A, gasifies the reformate A1 that is the hydrolyzed biomass A, and produces fuel F from raw material gas G1 that is the gasified reformate A1 by Fischer-Tropsch (FT) synthesis.

[0012] (biomass) Biomass A is a resource that includes biomass. In this embodiment, biomass A is a resource that includes waste-based biomass. As biomass A, household waste (urban waste) discarded from homes is used. However, biomass A is not limited to waste-based biomass such as household waste, and may also be unused biomass or resource crops. Furthermore, biomass A is not limited to being composed only of biomass, and may also include substances other than biomass, such as organic matter, inorganic matter, and metals produced from fossil fuels. The reformate A1, raw material gas G1, fuel F, etc. will be described later.

[0013] The biomass A in this embodiment may have a moisture content of 40% or more, or 50% or more. The moisture content here may be a value measured using, for example, a loss on drying method using a thermostatic chamber. In this case, for example, an object is placed in the thermostatic chamber and maintained at a predetermined temperature (e.g., 105°C) for a predetermined time (e.g., 5 hours). The difference between the mass of the object before and after placement may be taken as the moisture content, and the ratio of the moisture content to the mass of the object before placement may be taken as the moisture content of the object.

[0014] (hydrolysis equipment) The hydrolysis apparatus 10 hydrolyzes biomass A to produce a modified product A1, which is hydrolyzed biomass A. Here, hydrolysis refers to hydrothermal treatment of biomass A at a predetermined pressure and a predetermined temperature. In this embodiment, biomass A is introduced into the hydrolysis apparatus 10. With biomass A introduced therein, the hydrolysis apparatus 10 pressurizes the interior to a predetermined pressure and heats the interior to a predetermined temperature. As a result, the introduced biomass A is hydrolyzed (hydrothermally treated) to produce a modified product A1. In other words, the modified product A1 is biomass A that has been hydrolyzed (hydrothermally treated) and can be considered a reaction product of hydrolysis. The modified product A1 can be considered to be biomass in a viscous, homogenized state. Here, homogenization may refer to a state in which the biomass A no longer retains its original shape and is mixed with other substances, making it indistinguishable.

[0015] The predetermined pressure here may be any pressure, for example, 0.2 MPa or more and 3.4 PMa or less. The predetermined temperature may also be any temperature, for example, 120°C or more and 240°C or less, or even 130°C or more and 150°C or less. By setting the predetermined temperature to such a relatively low temperature, it is possible to appropriately prevent substances other than the biomass resources contained in the biomass A from being included in the reformate A1. Furthermore, by setting the predetermined temperature to 150°C or less, it is possible to prevent organic matter (resinous materials such as plastics) produced from fossil fuels from being hydrolyzed and included in the reformate A1, making it possible to produce a more sustainable (more carbon-neutral) fuel F.

[0016] In this embodiment, biomass A that has not been subjected to a drying treatment is input into the hydrolysis apparatus 10, and the biomass A that has not been subjected to a drying treatment is hydrolyzed. In other words, in the fuel production system 1, biomass A that has been carried into the fuel production system 1 is input into the hydrolysis apparatus 10 without being subjected to a drying treatment in a drying apparatus. The moisture content of the biomass A input into the hydrolysis apparatus 10 may be, for example, 40% or more, or 50% or more. The moisture content of the modified product A1 produced in the hydrolysis apparatus 10 may also be similar to the moisture content of the biomass A, and may be, for example, 40% or more, or 50% or more.

[0017] Here, the drying process refers to a process in which biomass A is heated to room temperature or higher (e.g., 50°C or higher) to remove at least a portion of the moisture contained in biomass A. By hydrolyzing biomass A without drying, the moisture content of the reformate A1 is maintained high, preventing the hydrogen component from becoming insufficient during the subsequent gasification and FT synthesis processes, thereby enabling the appropriate production of fuel F. Furthermore, if the hydrogen component for FT synthesis is insufficient, processes such as adding steam during gasification or adding hydrogen to the raw gas G1 after gasification are required, but these processes require energy. In contrast, by using the moisture contained in biomass A to maintain a high moisture content in the reformate A1, as in this embodiment, it is possible to reduce the amount of steam or hydrogen added during these processes or even eliminate these processes entirely, thereby reducing the energy used to produce fuel. However, the hydrolysis device 10 is not limited to hydrolyzing biomass A that has not been subjected to drying processes; it may also hydrolyze biomass A that has been subjected to drying processes.

[0018] The hydrolysis apparatus 10 may be any apparatus capable of hydrolyzing biomass A, but in this embodiment, it is preferable that the apparatus does not supply steam to the inside. That is, the hydrolysis apparatus 10 of this embodiment may be any apparatus that pressurizes and heats biomass A to a predetermined pressure and a predetermined temperature, and it is preferable that no moisture other than that of biomass A is introduced into the apparatus. This allows hydrolysis to be performed using the moisture contained in biomass A, thereby reducing the energy used in producing fuel. However, the apparatus is not limited to this, and the hydrolysis apparatus 10 may also be an apparatus that supplies steam to the inside.

[0019] The biomass A hydrolyzed by the hydrolysis apparatus 10 may contain, in addition to the homogenized modified product A1, a residue that remains in a solid state without being homogenized. Therefore, the hydrolysis apparatus 10 may be equipped with a separation device that separates the residue and the modified product A1 from the hydrolyzed biomass A. In this case, the hydrolysis apparatus 10 separates the residue from the hydrolyzed biomass A using the separation device to obtain the modified product A1. Note that any device may be used as the separation device, and it may be, for example, a filter such as a sieve. That is, in this case, the hydrolyzed biomass A may be fed into a filter, and the material that passes through the filter may be the modified product A1, and the material that is captured by the filter may be the residue. Note that the residue may include biomass that has not been homogenized, organic matter produced from fossil fuels, inorganic matter, metals, etc.

[0020] (Gasification equipment) The gasification device 20 is a device that gasifies the reformate A1 to generate a raw material gas G1. Here, gasification is a process of gasifying the reformate A1 to generate carbon monoxide (CO), hydrogen (H2), and hydrocarbon gas (C n H m That is, the source gas G1 is a gas containing at least carbon monoxide and hydrogen, and further contains a hydrocarbon gas (C n H m ) may be included. The reformed material A1 produced in the hydrolysis device 10 is fed into the gasification device 20. For example, the hydrolysis device 10 and the gasification device 20 may be connected by a pipe, and the reformed material A1 may be fed into the gasification device 20 via the pipe. With the reformed material A1 fed into the gasification device 20, the gasification device 20 heats the interior under predetermined heating conditions, thereby gasifying the reformed material A1 and generating a raw material gas G1.

[0021] The heating conditions of the gasifier 20 may be set arbitrarily and may be appropriately set to conditions that allow the reformate A1 to be steamed (partial oxidation reaction). For example, the gasifier 20 may heat the reformate A1 to a temperature of 800°C or higher and 1400°C or lower, or may be about 1200°C. The temperature to which the reformate A1 is heated is higher than the hydrolysis temperature (predetermined temperature) in the hydrolysis device 10.

[0022] In this embodiment, the reformate A1 that has not been dried is input into the gasification apparatus 20, and the reformate A1 that has not been dried is gasified. In other words, in the fuel production system 1, the reformate A1 produced in the hydrolysis apparatus 10 is input into the gasification apparatus 20 without being dried in a drying apparatus. That is, the moisture content of the reformate A1 input into the gasification apparatus 20 may be the same as the moisture content of the biomass A, for example, 40% or more, or 50% or more. Such a high moisture content of the reformate A1 allows the source gas G1 to appropriately contain hydrogen, making it possible to reduce the amount of steam or hydrogen to be added or to eliminate these processes entirely, thereby reducing the energy used in producing fuel. However, the gasification apparatus 200 is not limited to gasifying the reformate A1 that has not been dried, and may also gasify the reformate A1 that has been dried. In this case, it is preferable to introduce steam into the gasification apparatus 20.

[0023] (Synthesizer) The synthesis unit 30 is a unit that generates fuel F by FT synthesis of synthesis gas G, which is a gas containing raw material gas G1. FT synthesis refers to a process of synthesizing fuel F containing liquid hydrocarbons from gas containing carbon monoxide and hydrogen using a catalytic reaction by the FT (Fischer-Tropsch) method. In the FT synthesis, carbon monoxide and hydrogen in the synthesis gas G are converted into olefins (C n H 2n ) through chain growth (C8H 18 ~C 16 H 34 ), and hydrogen is taken up to form n-paraffins (nC n H2n+2 ) is produced. In other words, fuel F can be said to be a substance containing n-paraffins.

[0024] A synthesis gas G containing a raw material gas G1 produced in the gasification apparatus 20 is introduced into the synthesis apparatus 30. For example, the gasification apparatus 20 and the synthesis apparatus 30 may be connected by a pipe, and the synthesis gas G may be introduced into the synthesis apparatus 30 via the pipe. In this embodiment, the fuel production system 1 introduces the raw material gas G1 directly into the synthesis apparatus 30 without adding any other gas to the raw material gas G1. That is, in this embodiment, the raw material gas G1 is introduced into the synthesis apparatus 30 as the synthesis gas G. The synthesis apparatus 30 performs FT synthesis by setting the interior to a predetermined temperature and a predetermined pressure with the synthesis gas G introduced into the interior in which a catalyst is disposed, and generates a fuel F.

[0025] The temperature and pressure (predetermined temperature and pressure) in the synthesis apparatus 30 may be set arbitrarily and may be appropriately set to conditions that allow FT synthesis. In addition, any catalyst may be used for the FT synthesis, and one that allows FT synthesis may be used appropriately.

[0026] Since the FT synthesis is an exothermic reaction, heat is generated inside the synthesis device 30 where the FT synthesis is performed. The temperature due to the heat generated in the synthesis device 30 is, for example, 200°C or higher and 300°C or lower, and is, for example, about 250°C, which is higher than the temperature of hydrolysis in the hydrolysis device 10 and lower than the heating temperature during gasification in the gasification device 20. The temperature due to the heat generated in the synthesis device 30 may refer to the temperature inside the container 32, which will be described later, or may refer to the temperature of the off-gas contained in the fuel F.

[0027] (purification equipment) The refiner 40 is a device that refines fuel F. In this embodiment, the refiner 40 refines fuel F to produce biofuel for aircraft (biofuel) from the fuel F. The fuel F produced in the synthesizer 30 is input to the refiner 40. For example, the synthesizer 30 and the refiner 40 may be connected by a pipe, and the fuel F may be input to the refiner 40 via the pipe. The refiner 40 refines fuel F to produce biofuel. The biofuel produced by the refiner 40 may be, for example, SAF (Sustainable Aviation Fuel).

[0028] The conditions under which the refining device 40 refines the fuel F may be arbitrary. For example, the fuel F may be distilled to remove off-gas (gaseous components), light oil (liquid components with a low carbon number), wax components with a high carbon number, and the like, and the fuel F from which these have been removed may be extracted as biojet fuel.

[0029] The refinery unit 40 is not an essential component. That is, the fuel production system 1 does not need to have the refinery unit 40, and may at least produce the fuel F by the synthesis unit 30.

[0030] (heat exchanger) Here, the fuel production system 1 is required to reduce the energy used when producing the fuel F. In contrast, in this embodiment, by utilizing the fact that the FT synthesis is an exothermic reaction, the heat exchanger 50 exchanges heat between the synthesis device 30 and a device for producing a gas contained in the synthesis gas G, and this device is heated by the heat generated when the fuel F is produced in the synthesis device 30. As a result, in the device for producing a gas contained in the synthesis gas G, the heat generated by the FT synthesis can be used to perform a heating process for producing the gas. Therefore, according to this embodiment, the amount of external energy used in the heating process for producing the gas can be reduced, and as a result, the energy used when producing the fuel F can be reduced. The heat exchanger 50 will be described in detail below.

[0031] In this embodiment, the heat exchanger 50 exchanges heat between the synthesizer 30 and the hydrolysis apparatus 10. The heat exchanger 50 heats the hydrolysis apparatus 10 with heat generated when fuel F is produced in the synthesizer 30 through heat exchange between the synthesizer 30 and the hydrolysis apparatus 10. In other words, the heat exchanger 50 heats the inside of the hydrolysis apparatus 10 (the biomass A introduced therein) with the heat from the synthesizer 30. As described above, the temperature generated by the heat generated in the synthesizer 30 is higher than the hydrolysis temperature in the hydrolysis apparatus 10, so the heat from the synthesizer 30 can heat the biomass A for hydrolysis. Note that the symbol H in FIG. 1 indicates the direction of heat transfer. The hydrolysis apparatus 10 is an apparatus that produces a reformate A1 for producing a raw material gas G1, and therefore can be said to be an apparatus for producing a gas contained in the synthesis gas G.

[0032] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a heat exchanger according to this embodiment. The heat exchanger 50 may exchange heat between the synthesis apparatus 30 and the apparatus (the hydrolysis apparatus 10 in this example) using any method. For example, the heat exchange may be performed by heating the apparatus (the hydrolysis apparatus 10 in this example) with a medium M heated by the synthesis apparatus 30. The medium M may be any fluid, such as water, but in this embodiment, it may be the off-gas contained in the fuel F produced by the synthesis apparatus 30. In this case, for example, as shown in FIG. 2, the heat exchanger 50 may have headers 52, 54, and a pipe 56. The headers 52 and 54 are containers capable of storing the medium M therein, and the pipe 56 is a pipe connecting the header 52 and the header 54. The header 52 is connected to the container 32 of the synthesis apparatus 30, and the header 54 is arranged so as to be in contact with the container 12 of the hydrolysis apparatus 10. The vessel 32 is a reaction vessel into which synthesis gas G is introduced and FT synthesis is performed, and the vessel 12 is a reaction vessel into which biomass A is introduced and hydrolysis is performed. In this case, fuel F containing off-gas is produced along with heat generation by FT synthesis in the vessel 32 of the synthesis apparatus 30. The off-gas contained in the fuel F in the vessel 32 has a high temperature due to the heat generation and is introduced into the header 52 as medium M. The medium M flows into the header 54 via the pipe 56 and heats the vessel 12 in the header 54. This heats the biomass A in the vessel 12. The medium M (off-gas) that has heated the vessel 12 in the header 54 may be discharged to the outside or may be returned to, for example, the synthesis apparatus 30 or the purification apparatus 40. In this example, the header 52 is connected to the vessel 32 and off-gas is supplied from the vessel 32, but this is not limiting. For example, a header 52 may be connected to the piping connecting the vessel 32 (synthesizer 30) and the purification device 40, and the off-gas may be supplied through this piping, or a header 52 may be connected to the purification device 40, and the off-gas separated in the purification device 40 may be supplied.

[0033] Furthermore, the heat exchanger 50 is not limited to a system that uses off-gas for heating. For example, the header 52 may be in contact with the container 32, and the medium M may be circulated between the header 52, the piping 56, and the piping 52. In this case, when heat is generated in the container 32, the medium M in the header 52 is heated and flows into the header 54 via the piping 56, and heats the container 12 within the header 54. Furthermore, the medium M that has heated the container 12 flows into the header 52 via the piping 56, and is reheated by the container 32.

[0034] However, the configuration of the heat exchanger 50 is not limited to the above example, and may be any configuration that allows heat exchange between the synthesis unit 30 and the unit (the hydrolysis unit 10 in this example).

[0035] The heat exchanger 50 is not limited to heating the interior of the hydrolysis apparatus 10, but may also heat (preheat) the biomass A before it is introduced into the hydrolysis apparatus 10. In this case, for example, the heat exchanger 50 exchanges heat between the apparatus or piping that introduces the biomass A into the hydrolysis apparatus 10 and the synthesizer 30, and heats the apparatus or piping with heat (e.g., off-gas) from the synthesizer 30. This heats the biomass A in the apparatus or piping. Even in this case, heated biomass A is introduced into the hydrolysis apparatus 10, so it can be said that the hydrolysis apparatus 10 is heated.

[0036] (Processing flow) Next, a process flow for producing fuel F according to this embodiment will be described. FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating the process flow for the fuel production method according to this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 3, in the fuel production system 1 according to this embodiment, the hydrolysis device 10 hydrolyzes biomass A to produce a reformate A1 (step S10), the gasification device 20 gasifies the reformate A1 to produce a raw material gas G1 (step S12), and the synthesis device 30 performs FT synthesis of the synthesis gas G containing the raw material gas G1 to produce fuel F (step S14). Thereafter, if the process is to be terminated (step S16; Yes), the fuel production system 1 terminates this process. If the process is not to be terminated (step S16; No), the heat exchanger 50 exchanges heat between the synthesis device 30 and the hydrolysis device 10, and the hydrolysis device 10 is heated by the heat generated during the production of fuel F in the synthesis device 30 (step S18), while continuing the process from step S10 onward.

[0037] (effect) As described above, the fuel production system 1 according to this embodiment exchanges heat between the synthesis apparatus 30 and the hydrolysis apparatus 10, and heats the hydrolysis apparatus 10 with heat generated in the synthesis apparatus 30 (heat generated in the FT synthesis, which is an exothermic reaction). Therefore, according to this embodiment, at least a portion of the energy required for hydrolysis can be supplied by the heat generated in the synthesis apparatus 30, thereby reducing the energy used to produce the fuel F. Furthermore, in this embodiment, biomass A that has not been subjected to a drying process is input into the hydrolysis apparatus 10. This allows hydrogen to be appropriately contained in the feed gas G1, making it possible to reduce the amounts of steam and hydrogen to be added or to eliminate these processes entirely, thereby reducing the energy used to produce fuel.

[0038] (Second embodiment) Next, a second embodiment will be described. The second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that a drying device 60 is provided. In the second embodiment, a description of parts that are common to the first embodiment will be omitted.

[0039] 4A is a schematic block diagram of a fuel production system according to Embodiment 2. As shown in FIG. 4A, the fuel production system 1 according to this embodiment includes a hydrolysis unit 10, a gasification unit 20, a synthesis unit 30, a purification unit 40, a heat exchanger 50, an auxiliary heat exchanger 52, a drying unit 60, and a control unit 100.

[0040] (drying equipment) The drying device 60 is a device that dries biomass B to produce dried biomass B1, which is dried biomass B. Biomass B is a type of biomass different from biomass A input into the hydrolysis device 10, and in this embodiment, is biomass other than waste-based biomass such as household waste. In other words, biomass B may be at least one of unused biomass and resource crops.

[0041] Biomass B is fed into the drying device 60. With biomass B fed inside, the drying device 60 heats the interior to a predetermined temperature to remove moisture from (dry) the biomass B and generate dried biomass B1. Furthermore, with biomass B fed inside, the drying device 60 heats the interior to remove moisture from the biomass B and carbonizes the biomass B. That is, in this embodiment, the dried biomass B1 can be said to be carbonized biomass B, and the drying device 60 can also be called a carbonization device that carbonizes biomass B.

[0042] In this embodiment, the predetermined temperature (temperature at which biomass B is heated) may be any temperature at which biomass B can be carbonized, and may be 200° C. or higher and 300° C. or lower. The temperature at which biomass B is heated, i.e., the temperature at which biomass B is carbonized, is higher than the hydrolysis temperature in the hydrolysis apparatus 10 and lower than the heating temperature during gasification in the gasification apparatus 20.

[0043] The dried biomass B1 produced in the drying device 60 is fed into the gasification device 20. For example, the drying device 60 and the gasification device 20 may be connected by a pipe, and the dried biomass B1 may be fed into the gasification device 20 via the pipe. With the dried biomass B1 and the reformed material A1 fed into the gasification device 20, the gasification device 20 heats the interior thereof to gasify the reformed material A1 and generate a raw material gas G1. That is, the gasification device 20 gasifies the reformed material A1 using the dry biomass B1 as a combustion aid.

[0044] The dryer 60 may also be fed with the residue produced in the hydrolysis apparatus 10 (residue separated from the hydrolyzed biomass A). The dryer 60 heats the residue together with the biomass B to produce dried biomass B1. In other words, in this case, the dried biomass B1 can be considered a resource in which the biomass B and the residue have been dried (carbonized in this example). The residue fed to the dryer 60 is preferably at least one of non-homogenized biomass and organic matter produced from fossil fuels, and more preferably non-homogenized biomass.

[0045] (Control device) The control device 100 is a control device that controls the fuel production system 1, and is a computer in this embodiment. That is, for example, the control device 100 may have an arithmetic device including an arithmetic circuit such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), and a memory that stores various information such as the calculation contents of the arithmetic device and programs, and the arithmetic device may read and execute programs (software) from the memory to perform processing to control the fuel production system 1. However, the control device 100 is not limited to performing processing using software in this way, and at least a part of the processing it executes may be realized by hardware.

[0046] The control device 100 controls the input of dry biomass B1 into the gasification device 20. The control device 100 determines whether it is necessary to input dry biomass B1 into the gasification device 20, and if it is determined that it is necessary, the control device 100 inputs the dry biomass B1 into the gasification device 20. If it is determined that input is not necessary, the control device 100 does not input the dry biomass B1 into the gasification device 20. In addition, the control device 100 calculates the input amount of dry biomass B1 to the gasification device 20, and inputs the calculated amount of dry biomass B1 into the gasification device 20.

[0047] The control device 100 may use any method to determine whether the input of dry biomass B1 is necessary and calculate the input amount. In this embodiment, however, the control device 100 determines whether the input of dry biomass B1 is necessary and calculates the input amount based on the operating conditions of the fuel production system 1. For example, the control device 100 may determine whether the input of dry biomass B1 is necessary based on the temperature of the gasification device 20 (the temperature at which the reformate A1 is heated), which is one of the operating conditions. The control device 100 may determine that the input of dry biomass B1 is necessary when the temperature of the gasification device 20 is equal to or lower than a predetermined threshold temperature, and may determine that the input of dry biomass B1 is not necessary when the temperature of the gasification device 20 is higher than the threshold temperature. Furthermore, when the input of dry biomass B1 is necessary, the control device 100 may calculate the difference between the temperature of the gasification device 20 and the threshold temperature (i.e., the temperature deficiency), and calculate the input amount of dry biomass B1 based on the difference.

[0048] For example, the control device 100 may calculate the calories of the reformed material A1 based on the state of the reformed material A1 input into the gasification device 20 as an operating condition, and determine that input of dry biomass B1 is necessary if the calories are less than a threshold value, and determine that input of dry biomass B1 is not necessary if the calories are equal to or greater than the threshold value. Furthermore, when input of dry biomass B1 is necessary, the control device 100 calculates the difference between the calories of the reformed material A1 and the threshold value (i.e., the calories to be added), and calculates the input amount of dry biomass B1 based on this difference (for example, the difference is used as the input amount). In this case, the control device 100 obtains detection results of the state of the reformed material A1 from a sensor (not shown), and calculates the calories of the reformed material A1 from the detection results. Here, the state of the reformed material A1 may include the mass and moisture content of the reformed material A1, etc.

[0049] (heat exchanger) The heat exchanger 50 in this embodiment exchanges heat between the synthesizer 30 and the dryer 60. The heat exchanger 50 heats the dryer 60 with heat generated when the fuel F is produced in the synthesizer 30 through heat exchange between the synthesizer 30 and the dryer 60. In other words, the heat exchanger 50 heats the inside of the dryer 60 (the biomass B introduced therein) with the heat of the synthesizer 30. In this embodiment, the dryer 60 further heats the biomass B heated by the heat of the synthesizer 30 using another heating device. That is, in this embodiment, the heat exchanger 50 preheats the biomass B with the heat of the synthesizer 30, and the dryer 60 heats the preheated biomass B to the above-mentioned temperature. Note that the dryer 60 is an apparatus for producing dried biomass B1 for producing the raw material gas G1, and therefore can be said to be an apparatus for producing gases contained in the synthesis gas G.

[0050] The heat exchanger 50 may have any configuration for exchanging heat between the synthesis device 30 and the drying device 60, and may, for example, be configured to heat the medium M using the synthesis device 30 and then heat the drying device 60 using the heated medium M, as described in the first embodiment.

[0051] The heat exchanger 50 is not limited to heating the inside of the drying device 60, but may also heat (preheat) the biomass B before it is fed into the drying device 60. In this case, for example, the heat exchanger 50 exchanges heat between the device or piping that feeds the biomass B into the drying device 60 and the synthesizer 30, and heats this device or piping with the heat from the synthesizer 30. This heats the biomass B in the device or piping.

[0052] (auxiliary heat exchanger) The auxiliary heat exchanger 52 in this embodiment exchanges heat between the dryer 60 and the hydrolyzer 10. The auxiliary heat exchanger 52 heats the hydrolyzer 10 with the residual heat from drying (carbonizing) the biomass B in the dryer 60 through heat exchange between the dryer 60 and the hydrolyzer 10. In other words, the auxiliary heat exchanger 52 heats the inside of the hydrolyzer 10 (the biomass A introduced therein) with the residual heat from the dryer 60. As described above, the temperature at which biomass B is carbonized in the dryer 60 is higher than the temperature of hydrolysis in the hydrolyzer 10, and therefore the residual heat from the dryer 60 can heat the biomass A for hydrolysis.

[0053] The auxiliary heat exchanger 52 may have any configuration for exchanging heat between the drying device 60 and the hydrolysis device 10. For example, similar to the description of the heat exchanger 50 of the first embodiment, the auxiliary heat exchanger 52 may have a configuration in which the drying device 60 heats the medium M and the heated medium M heats the hydrolysis device 10.

[0054] The auxiliary heat exchanger 52 is not limited to heating the interior of the hydrolysis apparatus 10, but may also heat (preheat) the biomass A before it is introduced into the hydrolysis apparatus 10. In this case, for example, the auxiliary heat exchanger 52 exchanges heat between the device or piping that introduces the biomass A into the hydrolysis apparatus 10 and the drying apparatus 60, and heats this device or piping with the residual heat of the drying apparatus 60. This heats the biomass A in the device or piping.

[0055] As described above, in this embodiment, heat exchange is performed between the synthesis unit 30 and the drying unit 60 by the heat exchanger 50, and heat exchange is performed between the drying unit 60 and the hydrolysis unit 10 by the auxiliary heat exchanger 52. This makes it possible to more effectively reduce the energy used in producing fuel.

[0056] 4B is a schematic block diagram of a fuel production system according to another example of the second embodiment. However, in the second embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4B, similar to the first embodiment, heat exchange between the synthesizer 30 and the hydrolysis apparatus 10 may be performed by a heat exchanger 50, and heat exchange between the gasification apparatus 20 and the drying apparatus 60 may be performed by an auxiliary heat exchanger 52. In this case, the auxiliary heat exchanger 52 heats the drying apparatus 60 (biomass B introduced into the drying apparatus 60) with residual heat from gasification in the gasification apparatus 20. However, in this case, the auxiliary heat exchanger 52 may exchange heat between the gasification apparatus 20 and a device or piping that introduces biomass B into the drying apparatus 60, and heat this device or piping with the residual heat from the gasification apparatus 20.

[0057] (Modification of the second embodiment) Next, a modified example of the second embodiment will be described. In the second embodiment, the drying device 60 is a carbonization device that carbonizes the biomass B, but in this modified example, the drying device 60 is a device that dries but does not carbonize the biomass B. In this modified example, the description of parts that are common to the second embodiment will be omitted.

[0058] 5A is a schematic block diagram of a fuel production system according to a modification of Embodiment 2. As shown in FIG. 5A, the fuel production system 1 according to this modification includes a hydrolysis unit 10, a gasification unit 20, a synthesis unit 30, a purification unit 40, a heat exchanger 50, an auxiliary heat exchanger 52, a drying unit 60, and a control unit 100.

[0059] (drying equipment) The drying device 60 of this modified example differs from the second embodiment in that it dries biomass B by heating it, but does not carbonize the biomass B. That is, the dried biomass B1 of this example can be said to be dried biomass B. In this example, the temperature to which the drying device 60 heats biomass B may be any temperature at which biomass B can be dried, and may be 50°C or higher and 100°C or lower. The temperature to which biomass B is heated, i.e., the temperature to which biomass B is dried, is lower than the hydrolysis temperature in the hydrolysis device 10.

[0060] (heat exchanger) The heat exchanger 50 of this modification exchanges heat between the synthesis unit 30 and the hydrolysis unit 10, similarly to the first embodiment.

[0061] (auxiliary heat exchanger) The auxiliary heat exchanger 52 of this modification exchanges heat between the hydrolysis device 10 and the drying device 60. The auxiliary heat exchanger 52 exchanges heat between the hydrolysis device 10 and the drying device 60, and heats the drying device 60 with the residual heat from hydrolyzing the biomass A in the hydrolysis device 10. In other words, the auxiliary heat exchanger 52 heats the inside of the drying device 60 (biomass B introduced therein) with the residual heat from the hydrolysis device 10.

[0062] The auxiliary heat exchanger 52 may have any configuration for exchanging heat between the hydrolysis apparatus 10 and the drying apparatus 60. For example, similar to the description of the heat exchanger 50 of the first embodiment, the auxiliary heat exchanger 52 may have a configuration in which the medium M is heated by the hydrolysis apparatus 10 and the heated medium M heats the drying apparatus 60.

[0063] The auxiliary heat exchanger 52 is not limited to heating the interior of the drying device 60, and may also heat (preheat) the biomass B before it is fed into the drying device 60. In this case, for example, the auxiliary heat exchanger 52 exchanges heat between the device or piping that feeds the biomass B into the drying device 60 and the hydrolysis device 10, and heats this device or piping with the heat from the hydrolysis device 10.

[0064] 5B is a schematic block diagram of a fuel production system according to another example of a modification of the second embodiment. As described above, in this modification, heat exchange is performed between the synthesizer 30 and the hydrolysis apparatus 10 by the heat exchanger 50, and heat exchange is performed between the hydrolysis apparatus 10 and the drying apparatus 60 by the auxiliary heat exchanger 52. However, this is not limiting, and as shown in FIG. 5B, heat exchange may be performed between the synthesizer 30 and the drying apparatus 60 by the heat exchanger 50, and heat exchange may be performed between the gasification apparatus 20 and the hydrolysis apparatus 10 by the auxiliary heat exchanger 52, as in the second embodiment. In this case, the auxiliary heat exchanger 52 heats the hydrolysis apparatus 10 (biomass A introduced into the hydrolysis apparatus 10) by using residual heat from gasification in the gasification apparatus 20.

[0065] (Third embodiment) Next, a third embodiment will be described. The third embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that a hydrogen generator is provided. In the third embodiment, a description of the configuration common to the first embodiment will be omitted.

[0066] Fig. 6 is a schematic block diagram of a fuel production system according to the third embodiment. As shown in Fig. 6, the fuel production system 1 according to this embodiment includes a hydrolysis unit 10, a gasification unit 20, a synthesis unit 30, a purification unit 40, a heat exchanger 50, an auxiliary heat exchanger 54, a hydrogen generation unit 70, and a control unit 100.

[0067] (Hydrogen generator) The hydrogen generator 70 is a device that generates hydrogen. The hydrogen generator 70 may be any device that can generate hydrogen, but in this embodiment, it generates hydrogen by electrolyzing water. Specifically, the hydrogen generator 70 of this embodiment is a device that heats and electrolyzes water vapor, and is a solid electrolyte type high-temperature steam electrolysis device that has an SOEC (Solid Oxide Electrolysis Cell). However, the hydrogen generator 70 is not limited thereto, and may be, for example, a device that generates hydrogen by electrolyzing water using a precious metal catalyst.

[0068] Water is introduced into the hydrogen generator 70. With the water introduced inside, the hydrogen generator 70 heats the interior to a predetermined temperature to generate high-temperature steam, which is then electrolyzed to generate hydrogen.

[0069] The predetermined temperature (temperature at which the water vapor is heated) in this embodiment may be any temperature at which the water vapor can be electrolyzed, and may be 800° C. to 900° C. In this embodiment, the temperature at which the water vapor is heated is higher than the hydrolysis temperature in the hydrolysis apparatus 10, higher than the heating temperature in the drying apparatus 60 in the second embodiment, and lower than the heating temperature during gasification in the gasification apparatus 20.

[0070] If the hydrogen generated in the hydrogen generator 70 is hydrogen G2, the hydrogen G2 is mixed with the raw material gas G1 and input into the synthesizer 30 as the synthesis gas G. In other words, the fuel production system 1 of this embodiment can be said to include a mixing unit that mixes the raw material gas G1 and the hydrogen G2 to produce the synthesis gas G. The mixing unit may have any structure. For example, as shown in FIG. 6 , a pipe 71 connected to the hydrogen generator 70 is connected to a pipe 21 that connects the gasifier 20 and the synthesizer 30, and the hydrogen G2 flowing out from the hydrogen generator 70 through the pipe 71 may flow into the pipe 21 and be mixed with the raw material gas G1 flowing through the pipe 21. In other words, in this case, the pipes 21 and 71 can be said to be the mixing unit. In this way, the synthesis gas G of this embodiment is a gas obtained by mixing the raw material gas G1 and the hydrogen G2.

[0071] In this way, by mixing the hydrogen G2 generated in the hydrogen generator 70 with the raw material gas G1, the hydrogen component of the synthesis gas G increases, so that FT synthesis can be performed appropriately even if the raw material gas G1 is deficient in hydrogen component. Furthermore, the hydrogen generator 70 may introduce heated steam into the gasifier 20. This increases the hydrogen component of the raw material gas G1 generated in the gasifier 20, so that FT synthesis can be performed appropriately.

[0072] (Control device) The configuration of the control device 100 is the same as in the second embodiment, and therefore description thereof will be omitted. The control device 100 controls the supply of hydrogen G2 from the hydrogen generator 70. The control device 100 determines whether the supply of hydrogen G2 is necessary, and if it is determined that it is necessary, mixes the hydrogen G2 from the hydrogen generator 70 with the raw material gas G1. If it is determined that the supply of hydrogen G2 is not necessary, the control device 100 does not mix the hydrogen G2 with the raw material gas G1. In addition, the control device 100 calculates the supply amount of hydrogen G2, and supplies the calculated amount of hydrogen G2.

[0073] The control device 100 may use any method to determine whether hydrogen G2 needs to be supplied and to calculate the amount of hydrogen G2 to be supplied. In this embodiment, however, the control device 100 determines whether hydrogen G2 needs to be supplied and calculates the amount of hydrogen G2 to be supplied based on the operating conditions of the fuel production system 1. For example, the control device 100 causes hydrogen G2 to be supplied from the hydrogen generator 70 so that the ratio of the hydrogen content to the carbon monoxide content in the synthesis gas G falls within a predetermined range. In this case, for example, the control device 100 may calculate the amount of hydrogen and the amount of carbon monoxide contained in the source gas G1 based on the state of the source gas G1 as an operating condition, and determine that hydrogen G2 needs to be supplied if the ratio of the hydrogen content to the carbon monoxide content (hydrogen amount) is less than the lower limit of the predetermined range, and determine that hydrogen G2 does not need to be supplied if the ratio of the hydrogen content to the carbon monoxide content is equal to or greater than the lower limit of the predetermined range. Furthermore, when the supply of hydrogen G2 is required, the control device 100 calculates the difference between the amount of hydrogen contained in the source gas G1 and the amount of hydrogen required to achieve a predetermined ratio (i.e., the amount of hydrogen to be added), and calculates the supply amount of hydrogen G2 based on this difference (for example, the difference is used as the supply amount). In this case, the control device 100 acquires detection results for the state of the source gas G1 from a sensor (not shown) and calculates the amount of hydrogen and carbon monoxide from the detection results. Examples of the state of the source gas G1 here include the hydrogen partial pressure and the carbon monoxide partial pressure. Note that the predetermined range may be set arbitrarily, but since the yield of fuel F can be improved by keeping the composition ratio (molar ratio) of hydrogen to carbon monoxide near 2.0 in the FT synthesis, a value at which the ratio of the hydrogen content to carbon monoxide (composition ratio of hydrogen to carbon monoxide) approaches 2.0 may be set to, for example, 1.8 to 2.2.

[0074] Furthermore, when steam heated by the hydrogen generator 70 is introduced into the gasifier 20, the control device 100 controls the supply of steam from the hydrogen generator 70. The control device 100 determines whether the supply of steam is necessary, and if it is determined that it is necessary, introduces the steam from the hydrogen generator 70 into the gasifier 20. If it is determined that the supply of steam is not necessary, the control device 100 does not allow the steam to be introduced into the gasifier 20. Furthermore, the control device 100 calculates the amount of steam to be introduced, and allows the calculated amount of steam to be introduced. Note that the determination of whether the supply of steam is necessary and the calculation of the amount of steam to be introduced may be performed in the same manner as in the supply of hydrogen G2 described above.

[0075] (heat exchanger) The heat exchanger 50 of this embodiment exchanges heat between the synthesis unit 30 and the hydrolysis unit 10, similarly to the first embodiment.

[0076] (auxiliary heat exchanger) The auxiliary heat exchanger 54 in this embodiment exchanges heat between the gasifier 20 and the hydrogen generator 70. The auxiliary heat exchanger 54 heats the hydrogen generator 70 with the residual heat from gasification in the gasifier 20 through heat exchange between the gasifier 20 and the hydrogen generator 70. In other words, the auxiliary heat exchanger 54 heats the inside of the hydrogen generator 70 (the steam introduced into the inside) with the residual heat of the gasifier 20. As described above, the temperature at which gasification is performed in the gasifier 20 is higher than the temperature at which steam is heated in the hydrogen generator 70, and therefore the residual heat of the gasifier 20 can be used to heat the steam for hydrogen generation.

[0077] The auxiliary heat exchanger 54 may have any configuration for exchanging heat between the gasification apparatus 20 and the hydrogen generation apparatus 70, and may, for example, be configured to heat the medium M using the gasification apparatus 20 and then heat the hydrogen generation apparatus 70 using the heated medium M, similar to the description of the heat exchanger 50 of the first embodiment.

[0078] As described above, in the third embodiment, the heat exchanger 50 exchanges heat between the synthesis unit 30 and the hydrolysis unit 10, and the auxiliary heat exchanger 54 exchanges heat between the gasification unit 20 and the hydrogen generation unit 70. This makes it possible to more effectively reduce the energy used in producing fuel.

[0079] (First modified example of the third embodiment) Next, a first modified example of the third embodiment will be described. This modified example differs from the third embodiment in that it includes a reverse shift device 80 that generates carbon monoxide. In this modified example, the description of the parts that are common to the second embodiment will be omitted.

[0080] Fig. 7 is a schematic block diagram of a fuel production system according to a first modified example of the third embodiment. As shown in Fig. 7, the fuel production system 1 according to this modified example includes a hydrolysis unit 10, a gasification unit 20, a synthesis unit 30, a purification unit 40, a heat exchanger 50, an auxiliary heat exchanger 54, a hydrogen generation unit 70, a reverse shift unit 80, and a control unit 100.

[0081] The reverse shift device 80 is a device that generates carbon monoxide. The reverse shift device 80 may be any device that can generate carbon monoxide, but in this embodiment, the reverse shift device 80 generates carbon monoxide from hydrogen and carbon dioxide. Specifically, the reverse shift device 80 of this embodiment is a device that generates carbon monoxide from hydrogen and carbon dioxide through an aqueous reverse shift reaction, and is provided with, for example, a catalyst inside that promotes the aqueous reverse shift reaction.

[0082] Hydrogen G2 and carbon dioxide G3 are introduced into the reverse shift device 80. With the hydrogen G2 and carbon dioxide G3 introduced therein, the reverse shift device 80 generates carbon monoxide through an aqueous reverse shift reaction. In this example, hydrogen G2 generated in the hydrogen generator 70 is introduced into the reverse shift device 80. The carbon dioxide G3 may be introduced into the reverse shift device 80 by any method, and for example, the carbon dioxide G3 may be introduced from a storage tank that stores the carbon dioxide G3.

[0083] 7, the reverse shift device 80 is supplied with a raw material gas G1 from the gasifier 20. For example, the gasifier 20 and the reverse shift device 80 may be connected by a pipe, and the raw material gas G1 may be introduced into the reverse shift device 80 via the pipe. The reverse shift device 80 mixes the raw material gas G1 introduced from the gasifier 20 with purified carbon monoxide and supplies the resulting mixture to the synthesizer 30 as synthesis gas G. However, the raw material gas G1 does not necessarily have to be supplied to the reverse shift device 80. In this case, the raw material gas G1 produced in the gasifier 20 and the carbon monoxide produced in the reverse shift device 80 may be mixed in a mixing section and supplied to the synthesizer 30 as synthesis gas G. The mixing section here may have any configuration. For example, a pipe through which carbon monoxide is discharged from the reverse shift device 80 and a pipe through which the raw material gas G1 is discharged from the gasifier 20 may be connected, and these pipes may constitute the mixing section.

[0084] In this modification, the control device 100 controls the supply of carbon monoxide from the reverse shift device 80. The control device 100 determines whether the supply of carbon monoxide is necessary, and if so, mixes the carbon monoxide from the reverse shift device 80 into the raw material gas G1. If the control device 100 determines that the supply of carbon monoxide is unnecessary, it does not mix the carbon monoxide into the raw material gas G1. The control device 100 also calculates the amount of carbon monoxide to be supplied and supplies the calculated amount of carbon monoxide. Note that, when the supply of carbon monoxide is unnecessary, for example, the reverse shift device 80 may be inactivated (the temperature is not increased so that carbon monoxide is not generated), and the raw material gas G1 may be supplied from the gasifier 20 to the synthesizer 30 via the reverse shift device 80. Alternatively, for example, a pipe may be provided that connects the gasifier 20 and the synthesizer 30 without passing through the reverse shift device 80. With this configuration, the raw material gas G1 can be supplied to the synthesis unit 30 through the piping, and carbon monoxide can be supplied to the synthesis unit 30 through the reverse shift device 80.

[0085] The control device 100 may use any method to determine whether carbon monoxide supply is necessary and calculate the amount of carbon monoxide to be supplied. In this embodiment, however, the control device 100 determines whether carbon monoxide supply is necessary and calculates the amount of carbon monoxide to be supplied based on the operating conditions of the fuel production system 1. For example, the control device 100 controls the reverse shift device 80 to supply carbon monoxide so that the ratio of the hydrogen content to the carbon monoxide in the synthesis gas G falls within a predetermined range. In this case, for example, the control device 100 may calculate the amounts of carbon monoxide and hydrogen contained in the raw material gas G1 based on the state of the raw material gas G1, and determine that carbon monoxide supply is necessary if the ratio of the hydrogen content to the carbon monoxide content is higher than the upper limit of the predetermined range, and determine that carbon monoxide supply is not necessary if the ratio of the hydrogen content to the carbon monoxide content is equal to or lower than the upper limit of the predetermined range. Furthermore, when carbon monoxide supply is required, the control device 100 calculates the difference between the amount of carbon monoxide contained in the source gas G1 and the amount of carbon monoxide when the ratio falls within a predetermined range (i.e., the amount of carbon monoxide to be added), and calculates the amount of carbon monoxide to be supplied based on this difference (for example, the difference is used as the supply amount). In this case, the control device 100 acquires detection results of the state of the source gas G1 from a sensor (not shown) and calculates the amount of carbon monoxide and hydrogen from the detection results. Examples of the state of the source gas G1 here include the carbon monoxide partial pressure and the hydrogen partial pressure. Note that the predetermined range may be set arbitrarily, but since the yield of fuel F can be improved by keeping the composition ratio (molar ratio) of hydrogen to carbon monoxide near 2.0 in the FT synthesis, a value at which the ratio of the hydrogen content to carbon monoxide (composition ratio of hydrogen to carbon monoxide) approaches 2.0 may be set to, for example, 1.8 to 2.2.

[0086] The third embodiment may be combined with this modification. That is, in this modification, the fuel production system 1 may be configured to mix hydrogen produced in the hydrogen generator 70 with the raw material gas G1 produced in the gasifier 20, and may be configured to mix carbon monoxide produced in the reverse shift device 80 with the raw material gas G1 produced in the gasifier 20.

[0087] (Second modified example of the third embodiment) Next, a second modified example of the third embodiment will be described. This modified example differs from the third embodiment in that it includes a hydrogen turbine 82 driven by hydrogen G2. In this modified example, the description of the parts of the configuration common to the third embodiment will be omitted.

[0088] Fig. 8 is a schematic block diagram of a fuel production system according to a second modified example of the third embodiment. As shown in Fig. 8, the fuel production system 1 according to this modified example includes a hydrolysis unit 10, a gasification unit 20, a synthesis unit 30, a purification unit 40, a heat exchanger 50, an auxiliary heat exchanger 54, a hydrogen generation unit 70, a hydrogen turbine 82, and a control unit 100.

[0089] The hydrogen turbine 82 is a turbine that is rotated by hydrogen G2. A generator is connected to the hydrogen turbine 82, and the generator generates electricity by the rotation of the hydrogen turbine 82.

[0090] The hydrogen turbine 82 is connected to the hydrogen generator 70. The hydrogen turbine 82 is connected to the hydrogen generator 70 in parallel with the synthesis device 30. Hydrogen G2 generated in the hydrogen generator 70 is introduced into the hydrogen turbine 82. The introduction of hydrogen G2 causes the hydrogen turbine 82 to rotate, causing the generator to generate electricity.

[0091] By providing the hydrogen turbine 82 in this manner, excess hydrogen G2 generated by the hydrogen generation device 70 that is not used for mixing with the raw material gas G1 can be supplied to the hydrogen turbine 82, and that hydrogen G2 can be used to generate electricity, thereby reducing energy loss.

[0092] The second modified example may be combined with the first modified example. That is, the fuel production system 1 of the second modified example may further include the reverse shift device 80 of the first modified example.

[0093] (Fourth embodiment) Next, a fourth embodiment will be described. The fourth embodiment has both the drying device 60 of the second embodiment and the hydrogen generator 70 of the third embodiment. That is, the fourth embodiment differs from the second embodiment in that it has the hydrogen generator 70. In the fourth embodiment, a description of the parts of the configuration common to the second embodiment will be omitted.

[0094] Fig. 9 is a schematic block diagram of a fuel production system according to the fourth embodiment. As shown in Fig. 9, the fuel production system 1 according to this embodiment includes a hydrolysis unit 10, a gasification unit 20, a synthesis unit 30, a purification unit 40, a heat exchanger 50, an auxiliary heat exchanger 52, an auxiliary heat exchanger 54, a drying unit 60, a hydrogen generation unit 70, and a control unit 100.

[0095] The drying device 60 has the same configuration as in the second embodiment, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted. The drying device 60 of this embodiment is a carbonization device that carbonizes biomass B, as in the second embodiment. The hydrogen generation device 70 has the same configuration as in the third embodiment, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted. The fourth embodiment may be combined with each of the modified examples of the third embodiment. That is, the fuel production system 1 according to the fourth embodiment may have at least one of (one or both of) a reverse shift device 80 and a hydrogen turbine 82.

[0096] (heat exchanger) Similar to the second embodiment, the heat exchanger 50 according to this embodiment exchanges heat between the synthesizing device 30 and the drying device 60. That is, in this embodiment, the drying device 60 is heated (preheated) by the heat of the synthesizing device 30.

[0097] (auxiliary heat exchanger) The auxiliary heat exchanger 52 according to this embodiment, like the auxiliary heat exchanger 52 according to the second embodiment, exchanges heat between the drying device 60 and the hydrolysis device 10. That is, in this embodiment, the hydrolysis device 10 is heated by the residual heat of the drying device 60.

[0098] The auxiliary heat exchanger 54 according to this embodiment, like the auxiliary heat exchanger 54 according to the third embodiment, exchanges heat between the gasification apparatus 20 and the hydrogen generation apparatus 70. That is, in this embodiment, the hydrogen generation apparatus 70 is heated by the residual heat of the gasification apparatus 20.

[0099] (Control device) The control device 100 according to this embodiment, like the second embodiment, controls the input of dried biomass B1 into the gasification device 20. Also, like the third embodiment, the control device 100 according to this embodiment controls the supply of hydrogen G2 from the hydrogen generation device 70.

[0100] As described above, in the fourth embodiment, heat exchange occurs between the synthesis device 30 and the drying device 60, between the drying device 60 and the hydrolysis device 10, and between the gasification device 20 and the hydrogen generation device 70. This makes it possible to more effectively reduce the energy used in producing fuel.

[0101] (Modification of the fourth embodiment) Next, a modified example of the fourth embodiment will be described. In the fourth embodiment, the drying device 60 is a carbonization device that carbonizes the biomass B, but in this modified example, the drying device 60 is a device that dries but does not carbonize the biomass B. In this modified example, the description of parts that are common to the fourth embodiment will be omitted.

[0102] Fig. 10 is a schematic block diagram of a fuel production system according to a modification of the fourth embodiment. As shown in Fig. 10, the fuel production system 1 according to this modification includes a hydrolysis unit 10, a gasification unit 20, a synthesis unit 30, a purification unit 40, a heat exchanger 50, an auxiliary heat exchanger 52, an auxiliary heat exchanger 54, a drying unit 60, a hydrogen generation unit 70, and a control unit 100.

[0103] The drying device 60 of this modified example dries the biomass B by heating it, as in the modified example of the second embodiment, but does not carbonize the biomass B.

[0104] Similar to the modification of the second embodiment, the heat exchanger 50 of this modification exchanges heat between the synthesis apparatus 30 and the hydrolysis apparatus 10. That is, in this modification, the hydrolysis apparatus 10 is heated by the heat of the synthesis apparatus 30.

[0105] Similar to the modification of the second embodiment, the auxiliary heat exchanger 52 of this modification exchanges heat between the hydrolysis device 10 and the drying device 60. That is, in this modification, the drying device 60 is heated by the residual heat of the hydrolysis device 10.

[0106] The auxiliary heat exchanger 54 of this modified example exchanges heat between the gasifier 20 and the hydrogen generator 70, similarly to the fourth embodiment.

[0107] (Fifth embodiment) Next, a fifth embodiment will be described. Like the fourth embodiment, the fifth embodiment has both a drying device 60 and a hydrogen generation device 70, but differs from the fourth embodiment in that it has an auxiliary heat exchanger 56. In the fifth embodiment, descriptions of parts that are common to the fourth embodiment will be omitted.

[0108] Fig. 11 is a schematic block diagram of a fuel production system according to the fifth embodiment. As shown in Fig. 11, the fuel production system 1 according to this embodiment includes a hydrolysis unit 10, a gasification unit 20, a synthesis unit 30, a purification unit 40, a heat exchanger 50, an auxiliary heat exchanger 52, an auxiliary heat exchanger 54, an auxiliary heat exchanger 56, an auxiliary heat exchanger 58, a drying unit 60, a hydrogen generation unit 70, and a control unit 100.

[0109] The drying device 60 has the same configuration as that of the fourth embodiment (second embodiment), and therefore a description thereof will be omitted. The drying device 60 of this embodiment is a carbonization device that carbonizes biomass B, similar to that of the fourth embodiment (second embodiment). The hydrogen generation device 70 has the same configuration as that of the fourth embodiment (third embodiment), and therefore a description thereof will be omitted. The fifth embodiment may be combined with each of the modified examples of the third embodiment. That is, the fuel production system 1 according to the fifth embodiment may have at least one (one or both) of a reverse shift device 80 and a hydrogen turbine 82.

[0110] (heat exchanger) Similar to the first embodiment, the heat exchanger 50 according to this embodiment exchanges heat between the synthesis device 30 and the hydrolysis device 10. That is, in this embodiment, the hydrolysis device 10 is heated by the heat of the synthesis device 30.

[0111] (auxiliary heat exchanger) The auxiliary heat exchanger 58 according to this embodiment exchanges heat between the synthesizer 30 and the hydrogen generator 70. The auxiliary heat exchanger 58 heats the hydrogen generator 70 with heat generated when the fuel F is produced in the synthesizer 30 through heat exchange between the synthesizer 30 and the hydrogen generator 70. In other words, the auxiliary heat exchanger 58 heats the inside of the hydrogen generator 70 (the steam introduced into the inside) with the heat of the synthesizer 30. In this embodiment, the hydrogen generator 70 further heats the steam heated by the heat of the synthesizer 30. That is, in this embodiment, the auxiliary heat exchanger 58 preheats the steam with the heat of the synthesizer 30, and the hydrogen generator 70 heats the preheated steam to a temperature at which hydrogen can be produced. In this embodiment, as described below, the auxiliary heat exchanger 54 heats the preheated steam with the residual heat of the gasifier 20.

[0112] The auxiliary heat exchanger 58 may have any configuration for exchanging heat between the synthesis device 30 and the hydrogen generation device 70, and may, for example, be configured to heat the medium M using the synthesis device 30 and then heat the hydrogen generation device 70 using the heated medium M, similar to the description of the heat exchanger 50 of the first embodiment.

[0113] The auxiliary heat exchanger 58 is not limited to heating the inside of the hydrogen generator 70, and may also heat (preheat) water or steam before it is input into the hydrogen generator 70. In this case, for example, the auxiliary heat exchanger 58 exchanges heat between a device or piping that inputs water or steam into the hydrogen generator 70 and the synthesis device 30, and heats this device or piping with the heat of the synthesis device 30.

[0114] The auxiliary heat exchanger 54 according to this embodiment exchanges heat between the gasification apparatus 20 and the hydrogen generation apparatus 70, similarly to the auxiliary heat exchanger 54 according to the fourth embodiment. That is, in this embodiment, the hydrogen generation apparatus 70 is heated by the residual heat of the gasification apparatus 20. Note that in this embodiment, as described above, the water or steam supplied to the hydrogen generation apparatus 70 is preheated by the auxiliary heat exchanger 58 (synthesis apparatus 30), and therefore the preheated water or steam is further heated by the auxiliary heat exchanger 54 (gasification apparatus 20).

[0115] The auxiliary heat exchanger 56 according to this embodiment exchanges heat between the hydrogen generator 70 and the drying device 60. The auxiliary heat exchanger 56 heats the drying device 60 with residual heat from heating the steam in the hydrogen generator 70 through heat exchange between the hydrogen generator 70 and the drying device 60. In other words, the auxiliary heat exchanger 56 heats the inside of the drying device 60 (biomass B introduced therein) with residual heat from the hydrogen generator 70.

[0116] The auxiliary heat exchanger 56 may have any configuration for exchanging heat between the hydrogen generation device 70 and the drying device 60, and may, for example, be configured in a manner similar to that described for the heat exchanger 50 of the first embodiment, in which the hydrogen generation device 70 heats the medium M and the heated medium M heats the drying device 60.

[0117] The auxiliary heat exchanger 52 according to this embodiment, like the auxiliary heat exchanger 52 according to the fourth embodiment, exchanges heat between the drying device 60 and the hydrolysis device 10. That is, in this embodiment, the hydrolysis device 10 is heated by the residual heat of the drying device 60.

[0118] (Control device) The control device 100 according to this embodiment, like the second embodiment, controls the input of dried biomass B1 into the gasification device 20. The control device 100 according to this embodiment, like the third embodiment, controls the supply of hydrogen G2 from the hydrogen generation device 70.

[0119] As described above, in the fifth embodiment, heat exchange occurs between the synthesis device 30 and the hydrolysis device 10, between the drying device 60 and the hydrolysis device 10, between the synthesis device 30 and the hydrogen generation device 70, between the gasification device 20 and the hydrogen generation device 70, between the hydrogen generation device 70 and the drying device 60, and between the drying device 60 and the hydrolysis device 10. This makes it possible to more effectively reduce the energy used in producing fuel.

[0120] (Modification of the fifth embodiment) Next, a modified example of the fifth embodiment will be described. In the fifth embodiment, the drying device 60 is a carbonization device that carbonizes the biomass B, but in this modified example, the drying device 60 is a device that dries but does not carbonize the biomass B. In this modified example, the description of parts that are common to the fifth embodiment will be omitted.

[0121] Fig. 12 is a schematic block diagram of a fuel production system according to a modification of the fifth embodiment. As shown in Fig. 12, the fuel production system 1 according to this modification includes a hydrolysis unit 10, a gasification unit 20, a synthesis unit 30, a purification unit 40, a heat exchanger 50, an auxiliary heat exchanger 52, an auxiliary heat exchanger 54, an auxiliary heat exchanger 56, an auxiliary heat exchanger 58, a drying unit 60, a hydrogen generation unit 70, and a control unit 100.

[0122] The drying device 60 of this modified example dries the biomass B by heating it, as in the modified example of the second embodiment, but does not carbonize the biomass B.

[0123] The heat exchanger 50 of this modification exchanges heat between the synthesis unit 30 and the hydrolysis unit 10, similarly to the fifth embodiment.

[0124] The auxiliary heat exchanger 58 of this modification exchanges heat between the synthesis device 30 and the hydrogen generation device 70, similarly to the fifth embodiment.

[0125] The auxiliary heat exchanger 54 of this modified example exchanges heat between the gasifier 20 and the hydrogen generator 70, similarly to the fifth embodiment.

[0126] The auxiliary heat exchanger 56 of this modification exchanges heat between the hydrogen generator 70 and the hydrolysis apparatus 10. The auxiliary heat exchanger 56 heats the hydrolysis apparatus 10 with residual heat from heating the steam in the hydrogen generator 70 through heat exchange between the hydrogen generator 70 and the hydrolysis apparatus 10. In other words, the auxiliary heat exchanger 56 heats the inside of the hydrolysis apparatus 10 (biomass A introduced therein) with residual heat from the hydrogen generator 70.

[0127] The auxiliary heat exchanger 56 may have any configuration for exchanging heat between the hydrogen generator 70 and the hydrolysis apparatus 10. For example, similar to the description of the heat exchanger 50 of the first embodiment, the auxiliary heat exchanger 56 may have a configuration in which the medium M is heated by the hydrogen generator 70 and the heated medium M heats the hydrolysis apparatus 10.

[0128] The auxiliary heat exchanger 56 is not limited to heating the interior of the hydrolysis apparatus 10, and may also heat (preheat) the biomass A before it is introduced into the hydrolysis apparatus 10. In this case, for example, the auxiliary heat exchanger 56 exchanges heat between the device or piping that introduces the biomass A into the hydrolysis apparatus 10 and the hydrogen generator 70, and heats this device or piping with the residual heat of the hydrogen generator 70.

[0129] Similar to the modification of the second embodiment, the auxiliary heat exchanger 52 of this modification exchanges heat between the hydrolysis device 10 and the drying device 60. That is, in this modification, the drying device 60 is heated by the residual heat of the hydrolysis device 10.

[0130] (effect) As described above, the fuel production system 1 according to the first aspect of the present disclosure includes a hydrolysis apparatus 10, a gasification apparatus 20, a synthesis apparatus 30, and a heat exchanger 50. The hydrolysis apparatus 10 hydrolyzes biomass A to produce a reformate A1. The gasification apparatus 20 gasifies the reformate A1 to produce a feed gas G1 containing hydrogen and carbon monoxide. The synthesis apparatus 30 performs FT synthesis of a synthesis gas G containing the feed gas G1 to produce a fuel F. The heat exchanger 50 exchanges heat between the synthesis apparatus 30 and a device for producing gases contained in the synthesis gas G, and heats this device with heat generated when the synthesis apparatus 30 produces the fuel F. According to the present disclosure, at least a portion of the energy required to produce the gases contained in the synthesis gas G can be covered by the heat generated in the synthesis apparatus 30, thereby reducing the energy used to produce the fuel F.

[0131] A fuel production system 1 according to a second aspect of the present disclosure is the fuel production system 1 according to the first aspect, in which a heat exchanger 50 exchanges heat between the synthesis unit 30 and the hydrolysis unit 10. According to the present disclosure, at least a portion of the energy required for hydrolysis of biomass A can be provided by the heat generated in the synthesis unit 30, thereby reducing the energy used to produce fuel F.

[0132] A fuel production system 1 according to a third aspect of the present disclosure is the fuel production system 1 according to the first or second aspect, further including a drying device 60 that dries biomass B different from biomass A to produce dried biomass B1, and a gasification device 20 that heats and gasifies the dried biomass B1 and the reformate A1 to produce a raw material gas G1. According to the present disclosure, the dried biomass B1 can be used as a combustion aid, and therefore the reformate A1 can be appropriately gasified.

[0133] A fuel production system 1 according to a fourth aspect of the present disclosure is the fuel production system 1 according to the third aspect, in which the heat exchanger 50 exchanges heat between the synthesizer 30 and the dryer 60 to heat the dryer 60. According to the present disclosure, at least a portion of the energy required to dry the biomass B as a combustion improver can be covered by the heat generated in the synthesizer 30, thereby reducing the energy used to produce the fuel F.

[0134] A fuel production system 1 according to a fifth aspect of the present disclosure is the fuel production system 1 according to the fourth aspect, further including an auxiliary heat exchanger 52 that exchanges heat between the drying device 60 and the hydrolysis device 10 and heats the hydrolysis device 10 with the residual heat of the drying device 60. According to the present disclosure, at least a portion of the energy required for hydrolysis of biomass A can be covered by the residual heat of the drying device 60 heated by the synthesis device 30, thereby reducing the energy used to produce fuel F.

[0135] A fuel production system 1 according to a sixth aspect of the present disclosure is the fuel production system 1 according to any one of the third to fifth aspects, and further includes a control device 100 that controls the input of dried biomass B1 into the gasification device 20 based on the operating conditions of the fuel production system 1. According to the present disclosure, the dried biomass B1 can be input according to the operating conditions, so that gasification can be performed appropriately.

[0136] A fuel production system 1 according to a seventh aspect of the present disclosure is the fuel production system 1 according to the sixth aspect, in which the control device 100 inputs dried biomass B1 into the gasification device 20 when the temperature of the gasification device 20 is equal to or lower than a predetermined threshold. By inputting dried biomass B1 when the temperature of the gasification device 20 is low, the operating status of the gasification device 20 can be properly grasped, and gasification can be properly performed by inputting dried biomass B1.

[0137] A fuel production system 1 according to an eighth aspect of the present disclosure is the fuel production system 1 according to any one of the first to seventh aspects, and further includes a hydrogen generator 70 that generates hydrogen G2 from water, and a mixing unit that mixes a raw material gas G1 and the hydrogen G2 to produce a synthesis gas G. According to the present disclosure, by mixing the hydrogen G2 with the raw material gas G1, the missing hydrogen component is compensated for, and the FT synthesis can be performed appropriately.

[0138] A fuel production system 1 according to a ninth aspect of the present disclosure is the fuel production system 1 according to the seventh aspect, further including an auxiliary heat exchanger 54 that exchanges heat between the gasification apparatus 20 and the hydrogen generation apparatus 70 and heats the hydrogen generation apparatus 70 with the residual heat of the gasification apparatus 20. According to the present disclosure, at least a portion of the energy required to generate hydrogen can be covered by the residual heat of the gasification apparatus 20, thereby reducing the energy used when producing the fuel F.

[0139] A fuel production system 1 according to a tenth aspect of the present disclosure is the fuel production system 1 according to the seventh or eighth aspect, and further includes a control device 100 that controls the supply of hydrogen G2 based on the operating conditions of the fuel production system 1. According to the present disclosure, hydrogen G2 can be supplied according to the operating conditions, so that FT synthesis can be performed appropriately.

[0140] A fuel production system 1 according to an eleventh aspect of the present disclosure is the fuel production system 1 according to the tenth aspect, in which the control device 100 causes hydrogen G2 to be supplied from the hydrogen generator 70 so that the ratio of the hydrogen content to the carbon monoxide content in the synthesis gas G falls within a predetermined range. According to the present disclosure, the amount of hydrogen can be adjusted to be suitable for the FT synthesis, and therefore the FT synthesis can be performed appropriately.

[0141] A fuel production method according to a twelfth aspect of the present disclosure includes the steps of hydrolyzing biomass A to produce a reformate A1, gasifying the reformate A1 to produce a feed gas G1 containing hydrogen and carbon monoxide, performing FT synthesis on a synthesis gas G containing the feed gas G1 to produce a fuel F, and heating an apparatus for producing gases contained in the synthesis gas G with heat generated during the production of the fuel F. According to the present disclosure, the energy used when producing the fuel F can be reduced.

[0142] Although the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above, the embodiments are not limited to the contents of these embodiments. Furthermore, the above-described components include those that can be easily imagined by a person skilled in the art, those that are substantially the same, and those that are within the so-called equivalent range. Furthermore, the above-described components can be combined as appropriate. Furthermore, various omissions, substitutions, or modifications of the components can be made without departing from the spirit of the above-described embodiments. [Explanation of symbols]

[0143] 1. Fuel production system 10 Hydrolysis equipment 20 Gasifier 30 Synthesizer 50 heat exchanger 52, 54, 56, 58 Auxiliary heat exchanger 60 Drying equipment 70 Hydrogen generator A. Biomass A1 modified product F fuel G1 raw gas G Synthetic gas

Claims

1. a hydrolysis unit for hydrolyzing the biomass to produce a reformate; a gasification device that gasifies the reformate to produce a raw material gas containing hydrogen and carbon monoxide; a synthesis unit that performs FT (Fischer-Tropsch) synthesis on a synthesis gas containing the raw material gas to produce a fuel; a heat exchanger that exchanges heat between the synthesis device and a device for generating a gas contained in the synthesis gas, and heats the device with heat generated when the fuel is generated in the synthesis device; having Fuel production system.

2. The heat exchanger exchanges heat between the synthesis unit and the hydrolysis unit. The fuel production system of claim 1 .

3. Further comprising a drying device for drying a biomass different from the biomass to produce a dried biomass; The gasification device gasifies the dry biomass and the reformed material by heating them to generate the raw material gas. The fuel production system according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The heat exchanger exchanges heat between the synthesis device and the drying device to heat the drying device. The fuel production system according to claim 3 .

5. The method further includes an auxiliary heat exchanger that exchanges heat between the drying device and the hydrolysis device and heats the hydrolysis device with residual heat from the drying device. The fuel production system according to claim 4 .

6. The system further includes a control device that controls the input of the dried biomass to the gasification device based on the operating conditions of the fuel production system. The fuel production system according to claim 3 .

7. The control device causes the dry biomass to be introduced into the gasification device when the temperature of the gasification device is equal to or lower than a predetermined threshold. The fuel production system according to claim 6 .

8. a hydrogen generator for generating hydrogen from water; a mixing section that mixes the raw material gas and the hydrogen to form the synthesis gas, The fuel production system according to claim 1 or 2.

9. The hydrogen generating apparatus further includes an auxiliary heat exchanger that exchanges heat between the gasification apparatus and the hydrogen generating apparatus and heats the hydrogen generating apparatus with residual heat from the gasification apparatus. The fuel production system according to claim 8 .

10. The fuel production system further includes a control device that controls the supply of hydrogen based on an operating condition of the fuel production system. The fuel production system according to claim 8 .

11. the control device controls the hydrogen generator to supply hydrogen so that the ratio of the content of hydrogen to the content of carbon monoxide in the synthesis gas falls within a predetermined range. The fuel production system of claim 10 .

12. hydrolyzing the biomass to produce a reformate; gasifying the reformate to produce a feed gas comprising hydrogen and carbon monoxide; generating a fuel by subjecting a synthesis gas containing the raw material gas to FT (Fischer-Tropsch) synthesis; heating an apparatus for producing gases contained in the synthesis gas with heat generated during the production of the fuel; Including, Fuel production method.

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