Organic-substance production method and organic-substance production apparatus

Abstract

To efficiently and stably produce an organic substance such as ethanol from a synthetic gas derived from waste by a catalyst such as a microbial catalyst.SOLUTION: The organic-substance production method includes a step of gasifying waste G0 in the gasifier 14 to generate synthesis gas G1, a step of supplying the synthesis gas G1 to the organic-substance generation unit 17 via the feed path 25 and bringing the synthesis gas G1 into contact with a catalyst in the organic-substance generation unit 17 to generate organic substances, a step of detecting a gas amount of the synthesis gas G1 flowing through the feed path 25, and a step of controlling the gas amount of the synthesis gas combustion gas supplied to the organic-substance generation unit 17 according to the detected gas amount.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for producing an organic substance using a synthesis gas as a raw material, and an organic substance production apparatus for producing an organic substance using a synthesis gas as a raw material. [Background technology]

[0002] A widely known technology involves generating gas from various types of waste, such as industrial waste and general waste, through pyrolysis in a gasification furnace, and then reforming the generated gas in a reforming furnace to obtain synthesis gas, as described in Patent Document 1. The synthesis gas obtained is often used for power generation and other purposes after heat recovery in a boiler or the like. The gasification treatment system described in Patent Document 1 uses a fluidized bed gasifier as the gasifier, and is provided with a CO2 introduction amount control means, an O2 amount control means, and an H2O introduction amount control means, which respectively control the amounts of carbon dioxide, oxygen, and water vapor introduced into the furnace. Patent Document 1 describes that with this configuration, the introduction amounts of carbon dioxide, oxygen, and water vapor are independently controlled, thereby optimizing the amounts of water vapor and oxygen and achieving optimal fluidization, thereby achieving highly efficient gasification.

[0003] In recent years, attempts have also been made to use synthesis gas as a raw material for chemical synthesis. For example, synthesis gas is supplied to a reactor filled with a microbial catalyst, and the synthesis gas is converted into organic substances such as ethanol in the reactor (see, for example, Patent Document 2). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 4662338 [Patent Document 2] Patent No. 2019-167424 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] Waste is collected from various locations, such as landfill sites, and is first stored in a storage area such as a waste pit before being fed into a gasifier, etc. At this time, the waste stored in the storage area varies greatly in composition and moisture content, so it is common for the waste to be mixed using a crane or the like before being fed into a gasifier.

[0006] However, even if waste is mixed using a crane or the like, there is still a lot of variation, and therefore, even if equal amounts of waste are fed into a gasifier using a dust feeder or the like, there can be large variations in the amount of synthesis gas produced per unit time.For example, a wide variety of waste is received at a landfill site, and different types of waste are generally fed into a gasifier in sequence.In this case, if the type of waste changes, the amount of synthesis gas produced per unit time can vary greatly.

[0007] When using syngas for power generation, for example, even if the amount of electricity produced varies, the generated syngas can generally be used, allowing for efficient power generation, although the amount of electricity varies depending on the amount produced. On the other hand, when using syngas as a raw material to produce organic substances such as ethanol using a microbial catalyst, if the amount of syngas supplied to the reactor is insufficient due to variations in the amount of syngas produced, the microbial catalyst may die, making it difficult to produce stable organic substances. On the other hand, if the amount of microbial catalyst in the reactor is reduced to take into account variations in the amount of syngas produced, a sufficient amount of organic substances cannot be produced, and furthermore, the amount of syngas wasted increases, making efficient production difficult.

[0008] Furthermore, although Patent Document 1 shows that synthesis gas can be efficiently produced, it is not possible to sufficiently suppress variations in the amount of synthesis gas produced due to variations in waste. Therefore, even if the configuration of Patent Document 1 is directly applied to production equipment that produces organic substances using catalysts such as microbial catalysts, it is difficult to efficiently and stably produce organic substances.

[0009] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a method for producing organic substances, and an organic substance production apparatus, that can efficiently and stably produce organic substances such as ethanol from waste-derived synthesis gas using a catalyst such as a microbial catalyst. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] The gist of the present invention is as follows [1] to

[13] . [1] gasifying the waste in a gasifier to produce synthesis gas; supplying the synthesis gas to an organic substance production unit via a supply path and bringing the synthesis gas into contact with a catalyst in the organic substance production unit to produce an organic substance; detecting the amount of the synthesis gas flowing through the supply path; controlling the amount of the synthesis gas supplied to the organic substance production unit in accordance with the detected amount of gas; A method for producing an organic substance comprising: [2] The organic substance production method described in [1] above, wherein the amount of synthesis gas supplied to the organic substance production unit is controlled by changing the amount of waste supplied to the gasification device according to the detected amount of gas. [3] A return path is connected to the supply path for returning the synthesis gas to the gasification device; The organic substance production method described in [1] or [2] above, wherein if the detected gas amount is greater than a reference value, the amount of the synthesis gas supplied to the organic substance production unit is controlled by returning a portion of the synthesis gas flowing in the supply path to the gasification device via the return path. [4] The method for producing an organic substance according to any one of the above [1] to [3], wherein the catalyst is a microbial catalyst. [5] The method for producing an organic substance according to any one of the above [1] to [4], wherein the organic substance contains ethanol. [6] The method for producing an organic substance according to any one of the above [1] to [5], wherein the waste material dried in a dryer is supplied to a gasification device. [7] a gasifier for gasifying waste to produce synthesis gas; an organic substance generating unit that generates an organic substance by bringing the synthesis gas into contact with a catalyst; a supply path for supplying the synthesis gas generated in the gasification device to an organic substance generation unit; a gas amount detector for detecting the amount of the synthesis gas flowing through the supply path, The organic substance producing apparatus controls the amount of the synthesis gas supplied to the organic substance producing unit in accordance with the amount of gas detected by the gas amount detector. [8] A waste material supply means for supplying waste material to the gasification apparatus, The organic substance manufacturing apparatus described in [7] above, wherein the waste supply means controls the amount of the synthesis gas supplied to the organic substance generation unit by changing the amount of the waste supplied to the gasification device according to the amount of gas detected by the gas amount detector. [9] The organic substance production apparatus according to [7] or [8] above, further comprising a return path connected to the supply path and returning the synthesis gas flowing through the supply path to the gasification apparatus.

[10] The organic substance manufacturing apparatus described in [9] above, wherein if the detected gas amount is greater than a reference value, the amount of the synthesis gas supplied to the organic substance generation unit is controlled by returning a portion of the synthesis gas flowing in the supply path to the gasification device via the return path.

[11] The organic substance producing apparatus according to any one of the above [7] to

[10] , wherein the catalyst is a microbial catalyst.

[12] The organic substance manufacturing apparatus according to any one of the above [7] to

[11] , wherein the organic substance contains ethanol.

[13] a dryer for drying the waste; a waste supply means for supplying the waste dried in the dryer to the gasification apparatus; The organic substance producing apparatus according to any one of the above items [7] to

[12] , comprising: [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a method for producing an organic substance, and an organic substance production apparatus, which can efficiently and stably produce an organic substance such as ethanol from a synthesis gas derived from waste using a catalyst such as a microbial catalyst. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram showing the overall configuration of an organic substance manufacturing apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing the overall configuration of an organic substance manufacturing apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] First Embodiment Next, the present invention will be described using embodiments with reference to the drawings. 1 shows an organic substance manufacturing apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention. Hereinafter, the organic substance manufacturing apparatus and the organic substance manufacturing method according to the first embodiment will be described in detail with reference to FIG.

[0014] 1, organic substance production apparatus 10 includes gasification apparatus 14, organic substance generation section 17, gas amount detector 20, and supply path 25. Organic substance production apparatus 10 may also include storage section 11, dryer 13, dust feeder 23 as waste material supply means for supplying waste material to gasification apparatus 14, downstream treatment device 18, etc.

[0015] In organic substance production apparatus 10, waste G0 is gasified in gasifier 14 to generate synthesis gas G1. The generated synthesis gas G1 is supplied to organic substance production unit 17 via supply path 25. In organic substance production unit 17, synthesis gas G1 is brought into contact with a catalyst to generate organic substances. The amount of synthesis gas G1 flowing through supply path 25 is detected by gas amount detector 20, and the amount of synthesis gas G1 flowing through supply path 25 and then supplied to organic substance production unit 17 is adjusted according to the detected gas amount. In this embodiment, the above configuration stabilizes the amount of synthesis gas G1 supplied to the organic substance production section 17, making it possible to efficiently and stably produce organic substances such as ethanol using a microbial catalyst.

[0016] Hereinafter, the organic substance manufacturing apparatus and organic substance manufacturing method according to this embodiment will be described by explaining each of the components constituting the organic substance manufacturing apparatus 10 according to this embodiment.

[0017] (Storage section) The storage unit 11 is a device that receives and stores the waste G0, and is, for example, a waste pit. The waste G0 may be industrial waste such as industrial solid waste, or general waste such as municipal solid waste (MSW), and examples of such waste include plastic waste, food waste, discarded tires, biomass waste, food waste, building materials, wood, wood chips, fiber, and combustible materials such as paper. Of these, municipal solid waste (MSW) is preferred. The waste G0 generally contains a certain amount of moisture; for example, general waste such as municipal solid waste (MSW) contains approximately 20 to 60% by mass of moisture, more typically approximately 30 to 50% by mass of moisture.

[0018] The storage unit 11 receives the waste G0 from, for example, a platform 12 provided adjacent to the storage unit 11. For example, a garbage collection truck may be parked at the platform 12, and the waste G0 may be dumped from the garbage collection truck into the storage unit 11, but the method for dumping the waste G0 is not particularly limited.

[0019] A crane 22 serving as a waste material supply means is provided above the storage unit 11. The crane 22 is movable, for example, horizontally and vertically, and is also capable of gripping and releasing the gripped waste material G0. This allows the crane 22 to supply the waste material G0 stored in the storage unit 11 to the dryer 13. The crane 22 can also move the waste G0 stored in the storage unit 11 within the storage unit 11, or repeatedly grip and release the gripped waste G0, thereby mixing the waste G0 inside the storage unit 11. Mixing the waste G0 in the storage unit 11 makes it easier to suppress variations in the components and moisture content of the waste G0. The waste materials G0 may be mixed in the storage section 11 by a mixing means other than the crane 22, such as an agitator blade.

[0020] However, although a crane 22 is shown as the waste supply means for supplying the waste G0 stored in the storage section 11 to the dryer 13, devices other than the crane 22 may also be used, for example, a belt conveyor, a dust feeder, a hopper, or other transport devices powered by electricity, air, gases such as nitrogen, or steam. Of course, the waste supply means for supplying the waste G0 to the dryer 13 may be a combination of a crane and a transport device other than a crane, or a combination of two or more transport devices other than a crane.

[0021] (dryer) The dryer 13 dries the waste G0 supplied from the storage unit 11. The type of the dryer 13 is not particularly limited, but may be a batch dryer or a mobile dryer. The mobile dryer is a device that continuously dries the waste G0 while moving the waste G0 from an inlet to an outlet. Note that, although a mobile dryer is shown as a representative example of the dryer 13 in FIG. 1, the dryer is not particularly limited. Examples of mobile dryers include rotary dryers and belt conveyor dryers. Rotary dryers rotate a cylindrical rotating shell to move and dry the waste G0 placed inside the shell. Belt conveyor dryers dry the waste G0 inside the dryer while transporting it on a belt conveyor. A batch dryer is a device that dries waste G0 in batches.The waste G0 is fed into the dryer and heated for a certain period of time, and then the waste G0 is removed, thereby drying the waste G0.

[0022] The drying method of the dryer 13 is not particularly limited, and may be either a direct drying method in which the waste G0 is dried by passing hot air through the dryer, or an indirect drying method in which the waste G0 is heated by heat transfer through the inner surface of the device that comes into contact with the device (for example, the inner surface of the rotating shell in a rotary dryer), or another method. In the indirect drying method, the inner surface of the device is preferably heated by a heat medium that passes through a heat transfer tube installed inside the device. Examples of heat mediums include steam, but are not particularly limited. The temperature (drying temperature) inside the dryer 13 when drying the waste G0 may be set so that the moisture content of the waste G0 after drying falls within a predetermined range described below, for example, 50 to 400°C, preferably 100 to 300°C, and the waste G may be dried at the above drying temperature for, for example, 1 to 10 minutes, preferably 2 to 8 minutes.

[0023] The waste G0, particularly general waste such as municipal solid waste (MSW), generally has a large variation in moisture content, so drying it with the dryer 13 can suppress the variation in moisture content. Suppressing the variation in moisture content makes it easier to stabilize the amount of synthesis gas G1 generated per unit time in the gasification device 14 and the carbon monoxide and hydrogen contents in the synthesis gas G1. This makes it easier to generate organic substances more stably and efficiently in the organic substance generation unit 17, which will be described later. In addition, the amount of gas control required for the synthesis gas G0 supplied to the organic substance generation unit 17 can be reduced, making it more practical.

[0024] The waste G0 may be dried in the dryer 13 so that the moisture content is, for example, 30% by mass or less. By setting the moisture content to 30% by mass or less, it becomes easier to keep the variation in the moisture content of the dried waste G0 within a certain range, and it becomes easier to stabilize the amount of synthesis gas G1 generated per unit time in the gasification device 14 and the carbon monoxide and hydrogen contents in the synthesis gas G1. Furthermore, it is preferable that the waste G0 be dried in the dryer 13 so that the moisture content is, for example, 5% by mass or more. Since it is generally difficult for the dryer 13 to reduce the moisture content of the waste G0 below a certain amount, setting the moisture content to 5% by mass or more allows the waste G0 to be dried efficiently. Furthermore, there is no need to increase the drying capacity of the dryer 13 more than necessary, and energy consumption for evaporating moisture can be reduced. From these viewpoints, the moisture content is preferably 25% by mass or less, more preferably 20% by mass or less, even more preferably 15% by mass or less, and even more preferably 10% by mass or more. In order to keep the moisture content of the waste G0 within the above range, it is advisable to appropriately adjust the drying conditions of the dryer, taking into consideration the type of waste G0. The waste G0 dried in the dryer may be supplied to the gasification device 14 by a dust feeder 23 (waste supply means) described later, with the moisture content adjusted as described above.

[0025] (dust feeder) The dust feeder 23 is a waste supply means that supplies the waste G0 to the gasification apparatus 14. The dust feeder 23 supplies the waste G0 that has been dried in the dryer 13 to the gasification apparatus 14. The dust feeder 23 includes, for example, a hopper 23A and a dust feed screw 23B, and moves the waste G0 that has been put into the hopper 23A by rotating the dust feed screw 23B, and supplies the waste G0 to the gasification furnace 15. In this embodiment, the waste supply means (dust feeder 23) that supplies the waste G0 to the gasification apparatus 14 adjusts the amount of waste G0 supplied to the gasification apparatus 14 in accordance with the detection result by the gas amount detector 20, as will be described later. The dust feeder 23 can adjust the amount of waste G0 supplied to the gasification apparatus 14 by, for example, appropriately adjusting the rotation speed of the dust feed screw 23B.

[0026] The waste supply means for supplying the waste G0 dried in the dryer 13 to the gasifier 14 is not limited to the dust feeder 23, and may be a conveying device other than a dust feeder, such as a belt conveyor, a crane, or a hopper, powered by electricity, air, gases such as nitrogen, or steam. Also, a combination of a dust feeder and a conveying device other than a dust feeder, or a combination of two or more conveying devices other than dust feeders, may be used. Even when the waste supply means is other than the dust feeder 23 or a combination of a dust feeder 23 and a dust feeder other than a dust feeder, it is preferable to adjust the amount of waste G0 supplied to the gasifier 14 according to the detection results of the gas amount detector 20, which will be described later.

[0027] (Gasification equipment) The gasification apparatus 14 gasifies the waste to generate synthesis gas and includes a gasification furnace 15 and a reformer furnace 16. The gasifier 15 is not particularly limited, but examples include a kiln gasifier, a fixed-bed gasifier, a fluidized-bed gasifier, a thermoselect type, a shaft type, and a plasma type. In addition to the waste, oxygen or air, and optionally steam, are also fed into the gasifier 15. The gasifier 15 heats the waste G0 to, for example, 500 to 700°C, thereby pyrolyzing it and gasifying it by partial oxidation as appropriate. The pyrolysis gas contains not only carbon monoxide and hydrogen, but also gaseous tar, powdered char, and the like. The pyrolysis gas is supplied to the reformer 16. It is recommended that solid matter generated as incombustible material in the gasifier 15 be appropriately recovered.

[0028] In the reformer 16, the pyrolysis gas obtained in the gasifier 15 is reformed to obtain synthesis gas. In the reformer 16, the content of at least one of hydrogen and carbon monoxide in the pyrolysis gas increases, and the pyrolysis gas is discharged as synthesis gas G1. In the reformer 16, for example, tar, char, etc. contained in the pyrolysis gas are reformed into hydrogen, carbon monoxide, etc. The temperature of the synthesis gas in the reformer 16 is not particularly limited, but is, for example, 900°C or higher, preferably 900°C to 1300°C, and more preferably 1000°C to 1200°C, and the synthesis gas is preferably discharged to the outside of the reformer 16 (i.e., the gasification device 14) at these temperatures. By setting the temperature in the reformer 16 within the above range, synthesis gas with high carbon monoxide and hydrogen contents is more likely to be obtained.

[0029] The synthesis gas G1 discharged from the reformer 16 (i.e., the gasifier 14) contains carbon monoxide and hydrogen. The synthesis gas G1 contains, for example, 0.1% to 80% by volume of carbon monoxide and 0.1% to 80% by volume of hydrogen. The carbon monoxide concentration in the synthesis gas G1 is preferably 10% by volume or more and 70% by volume or less, more preferably 20% by volume or more and 55% by volume or less. The hydrogen concentration in the synthesis gas G1 is preferably 10% by volume or more and 70% by volume or less, more preferably 20% by volume or more and 55% by volume or less. The synthesis gas G1 may contain carbon dioxide, nitrogen, oxygen, and the like in addition to hydrogen and carbon monoxide. The carbon dioxide concentration in the synthesis gas G1 is not particularly limited, but is preferably 0.1% by volume or more and 40% by volume or less, and more preferably 0.3% by volume or more and 30% by volume or less. It is particularly preferable to lower the carbon dioxide concentration when ethanol is produced using a microbial catalyst, and from this perspective, the carbon dioxide concentration is more preferably 0.5% by volume or more and 25% by volume or less. The nitrogen concentration in the synthesis gas G1 is usually 40% by volume or less, and preferably 1% by volume or more and 20% by volume or less. The oxygen concentration in the synthesis gas G1 is usually 5% by volume or less, and preferably 1% by volume or less. The lower the oxygen concentration, the better, and it is sufficient if it is 0% by volume or more. However, oxygen is generally inevitably contained in many cases, and the oxygen concentration is practically 0.01% by volume or more.

[0030] The concentrations of carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, hydrogen, nitrogen, and oxygen in the synthesis gas G1 can be kept within a predetermined range by appropriately changing combustion conditions such as the type of waste, the moisture content of the waste G0 after drying, the temperatures of the gasifier 15 and the reformer 16, and the oxygen concentration of the supply gas supplied to the gasifier 14. For example, if you want to change the carbon monoxide or hydrogen concentration, you can change to waste with a high ratio of hydrocarbons (carbon and hydrogen), such as waste plastic, or if you want to lower the nitrogen concentration, you can supply gas with a high oxygen concentration to the gasifier 15. Furthermore, the synthesis gas G1 may be adjusted in concentration as appropriate for each of the components carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, hydrogen, and nitrogen by adding at least one of these components to the synthesis gas G1. The volume percentage of each substance in the synthesis gas G1 mentioned above refers to the volume percentage of each substance in the synthesis gas G1 discharged from the gasification apparatus 14.

[0031] In the above explanation, the gasification apparatus 14 has been described as having a gasification furnace 15 and a reformer 16, but the configuration of the gasification apparatus 14 is not limited to this and may be an apparatus in which the gasification furnace and the reformer are integrated, or may be any type of gasification apparatus as long as it is capable of producing synthesis gas G1.

[0032] The synthesis gas G1 obtained in the gasification apparatus 14 is sent to the organic substance generation unit 17 through a supply line 25. The supply line 25 is configured, for example, by piping, and connects the gasification apparatus 14 and the organic substance generation unit 17. In addition, a post-processing device 18 is usually provided on the supply line 25, and the synthesis gas G1 is preferably processed appropriately in the post-processing device 18 before being supplied to the organic substance generation unit 17. The post-processing device 18 appropriately removes impurities contained in the synthesis gas G1 and cools the synthesis gas G1, and the synthesis gas G1 is preferably cooled to, for example, 40°C or less before being supplied to the organic substance generation unit 17. The post-processing device 18 will be described in detail later.

[0033] (Gas volume detector) A gas amount detector 20 is provided in the supply path 25. The gas amount detector 20 detects the amount of the synthesis gas G1 flowing through the supply path 25, which is composed of piping or the like. Specifically, the amounts of carbon monoxide and hydrogen in the synthesis gas G1 are detected, and the total amount of carbon monoxide and hydrogen is taken as the gas amount of the synthesis gas G1. A combination of known detectors, for example, a flow meter and a gas component analyzer, may be used as the gas amount detector 25. Specifically, the flow meter measures the total amount of gas flowing through the supply path 25, and the gas component analyzer measures the proportions of carbon monoxide and hydrogen in the gas, and the amounts of carbon monoxide and hydrogen can be detected from the obtained measurements. Examples of flow meters include differential pressure flow meters, ultrasonic flow meters, Coriolis flow meters, positive displacement flow meters, area flow meters, thermal flow meters, and turbine flow meters, and examples of gas component analyzers include mass spectrometers, infrared analyzers, and laser analyzers.

[0034] As described above, the amount of synthesis gas G1 detected by gas amount detector 20 may be the flow rate of synthesis gas G1 flowing through supply line 25, more specifically, the total flow rate of carbon monoxide and hydrogen. The detected flow rate may be the amount of synthesis gas G1 flowing through supply line 25 per unit time (for example, about 1 second to 1 hour), and is not particularly limited, but may be a single detection value or an average value of multiple detection values. The amount of synthesis gas G1 flowing through supply line 25 per unit time may also be calculated from the cumulative value of multiple detection values.

[0035] In this embodiment, the amount of waste G0 supplied to the gasification apparatus 14 is changed according to the detection result by the gas amount detector 20. Specifically, if the gas amount detector 20 detects a gas amount greater than a reference value, the waste supply means such as the dust feeder 23 decreases the amount of waste G0 supplied to the gasification apparatus 14. If the gas amount detector 20 detects a gas amount less than the reference value, the waste supply means such as the dust feeder 23 increases the amount of waste G0 supplied to the gasification apparatus 14. If the gas amount detector 20 detects a gas amount equal to the reference value, the waste supply means such as the dust feeder 23 may maintain the amount of waste G0 supplied to the gasification apparatus 14 as is. The amount of waste G0 supplied means the amount of waste G0 supplied per unit time (for example, approximately 1 minute to 1 hour). The amount of waste G0 supplied to the gasification apparatus 14 may be set based on the difference between the detected amount of gas and a reference value. Therefore, the greater the detected amount of gas compared to the reference value, the smaller the amount of waste G0 supplied to the gasification apparatus 14 should be. The smaller the detected amount of gas compared to the reference value, the larger the amount of waste G0 supplied to the gasification apparatus 14 should be.

[0036] As described above, in the gasification apparatus 14, by changing the supply amount of the waste G0, the synthesis gas G1 is generated in accordance with the supply amount. This controls the production amount of the synthesis gas G1 in the gasification apparatus 14, i.e., the amount of the synthesis gas G1 that is flowed through the supply path 25 and then supplied to the organic substance generation unit 17. In the gasification device 14, variations in the amount of synthesis gas G1 produced per unit time can occur due to variations in the components and moisture content of the waste G0. However, in this embodiment, such variations in the amount of production are suppressed, and the synthesis gas G1 is continuously supplied to the organic substance production section 17 at a gas amount within a certain range with little variation.

[0037] The above-mentioned reference value may be set in advance according to the processing capacity of the organic matter production unit 17 (described later), for example, according to the amount of microbial catalyst filled in the reactor of the organic matter production unit 17. More specifically, the reference value may be a value obtained by multiplying the maximum processing amount that the microbial catalyst can process by a safety factor of approximately 0.7 to 0.9. The reference value may be a single point value or a certain range. Therefore, the amount of waste G0 supplied to the gasification device 14 may remain constant if the detected gas amount is within a certain range.

[0038] The amount of gas detected by the gas amount detector 20 may be output to a control unit (not shown) or the like. Based on the input data regarding the amount of gas, the control unit may adjust the amount of waste G0 supplied to the gasification device 14 by appropriately adjusting the rotation speed of the dust feed screw 23B of the dust feeder 23 and other settings of the waste supply means. The control unit may use a known control device, such as a personal computer, or may be configured with a known control circuit or the like. The amount of waste G0 supplied to the gasification device 14 may also be manually adjusted based on the amount of gas detected by the gas amount detector 20.

[0039] (Organic substance generation department) The organic substance production unit 17 produces organic substances by bringing the synthesis gas into contact with a microbial catalyst. A gas-assimilating microorganism is preferably used as the microbial catalyst. The organic substance production unit 17 includes a fermenter (reactor) filled with a culture solution containing water and a microbial catalyst. The synthesis gas G1 is supplied to the interior of the fermenter, and the synthesis gas G1 is converted into organic substances within the fermenter. The gas-assimilating microorganism is preferably capable of producing at least one of ethanol and isopropanol, more preferably ethanol. Therefore, the organic substances produced in the organic substance production unit 17 preferably include either ethanol or isopropanol, more preferably ethanol.

[0040] The fermenter is preferably a continuous fermentation apparatus, and may be any of agitation type, airlift type, bubble column type, loop type, open bond type, and photobio type. The synthesis gas G1 and the culture solution may be continuously supplied to the fermenter, but it is not necessary to supply the synthesis gas G1 and the culture solution simultaneously, and the synthesis gas G1 may be supplied to a fermenter to which the culture solution has been previously supplied. The synthesis gas G1 is generally blown into the fermenter through a sparger or the like. The medium used to cultivate a microbial catalyst is not particularly limited as long as it has an appropriate composition depending on the bacterium, but is a liquid containing water as the main component and nutrients (e.g., vitamins, phosphoric acid, etc.) dissolved or dispersed in this water. In the organic substance producing section 17, organic substances are produced by microbial fermentation using a microbial catalyst, and an organic substance-containing liquid is obtained.

[0041] The temperature of the fermenter is preferably controlled to 40° C. or below. By controlling the temperature to 40° C. or below, the microbial catalyst in the fermenter does not die, and organic substances such as ethanol are efficiently produced by contacting the synthesis gas with the microbial catalyst. The temperature of the fermenter is more preferably 38°C or lower, and in order to enhance catalytic activity, it is preferably 10°C or higher, more preferably 20°C or higher, and even more preferably 30°C or higher.

[0042] In this embodiment, as described above, the amount of synthesis gas G1 supplied to the organic substance production unit 17 is adjusted, thereby reducing variation in the amount of synthesis gas G1 supplied per unit time to the organic substance production unit 17. Therefore, even if the amount of microbial catalyst in the organic substance production unit 17 is increased, a shortage in the supply of synthesis gas G1 is unlikely to occur, and the microbial catalyst is unlikely to die in the organic substance production unit 17. Therefore, the organic substance production unit 17 can stably and efficiently produce organic substances such as ethanol.

[0043] The organic substance production unit 17 may have a purification device (not shown) for purifying the produced organic substance. For example, when a microbial catalyst is used, an organic substance-containing liquid is obtained as described above, but a separation device (not shown) for separating at least water from the organic substance-containing liquid may also be provided. Examples of separation devices include solid-liquid separation devices, distillation devices, and separation membranes, but it is preferable to use a solid-liquid separation device and a distillation device in combination. Below, a separation process performed using a solid-liquid separation device and a distillation device in combination will be specifically described. However, in cases where there is no need to purify the organic substance produced in the organic substance production unit 17 or where there is no need to separate water from the organic substance-containing liquid, the separation device may be omitted.

[0044] The organic substance-containing liquid obtained in the organic substance production unit 17 may be separated into a solid component mainly composed of microorganisms and a liquid component containing organic substances in a solid-liquid separation device. The organic substance-containing liquid obtained in the organic substance production unit 17 contains, in addition to the target organic substance, microorganisms and their carcasses contained in the culture tank as solid components, so solid-liquid separation is preferably performed to remove these. Examples of solid-liquid separation devices include filters, centrifuges, and devices using solution precipitation. The solid-liquid separation device may also be a device (e.g., a heat drying device) that evaporates the liquid component containing the organic substance from the organic substance-containing liquid and separates it from the solid component. In this case, all of the liquid component containing the target organic substance may be evaporated, or the liquid component may be partially evaporated so that the target organic substance is preferentially evaporated.

[0045] The liquid component separated by solid-liquid separation may be further distilled in a distillation apparatus to separate the target organic substance. Separation by distillation allows for the purification of large quantities of organic substances to high purity with a simple operation. When distillation is performed, a known distillation apparatus such as a distillation column may be used. Furthermore, the distillation may be performed, for example, such that the distillate contains the target organic substance (e.g., ethanol) at a high purity, while the bottoms (i.e., distillation residue) contains water as the main component (e.g., 70% by mass or more, preferably 90% by mass or more). By operating in this manner, the target organic substance and water can be largely separated.

[0046] The temperature inside the distiller during distillation of an organic substance (e.g., ethanol or isopropanol) is not particularly limited, but is preferably 100° C. or less, and more preferably about 70 to 95° C. By setting the temperature inside the distillation apparatus within this range, it is possible to reliably separate the necessary organic substance from other components such as water. The pressure inside the distillation apparatus during distillation of the organic substance may be normal pressure, but is preferably less than atmospheric pressure, more preferably about 60 to 150 kPa (gauge pressure). By setting the pressure inside the distillation apparatus within this range, the separation efficiency of the organic substance can be improved, and the yield of the organic substance can be increased. The water separated in the separation device is preferably reused, for example, by supplying it to a gas cooling tower in the post-treatment device 18 described later and using it for water spraying in the gas cooling tower.

[0047] (Post-processing device) Examples of downstream treatment equipment 18 include water separation equipment such as heat exchangers, gas cooling towers, filter-type dust collectors, water scrubbers, oil scrubbers, and gas chillers, low-temperature separation (cryogenic) separation equipment, particulate separation equipment composed of various filters, desulfurization equipment (sulfide separation equipment), membrane separation equipment, deoxygenation equipment, pressure swing adsorption (PSA) separation equipment, temperature swing adsorption (TSA) separation equipment, pressure temperature swing adsorption (PTSA) separation equipment, separation equipment using activated carbon, separation equipment using a deoxygenation catalyst, specifically, a copper catalyst or a palladium catalyst, and treatment equipment such as a shift reactor. These treatment equipment may be used alone or in combination of two or more types.

[0048] Of the above, the post-treatment device 18 preferably includes at least a heat exchanger, a gas cooling tower, a filter-type dust collector, and a water scrubber, in this order from the upstream side. In this specification, the term "previous stage" refers to the previous stage along the supply flow of the waste material G0 and the synthesis gas G1 to be generated. The term "next stage" refers to the subsequent stage along the supply flow of the waste material G0 and the synthesis gas G1. The supply flow of the waste material G0 and the synthesis gas G1 refers to the series of flows of the waste material G0 and the synthesis gas G1 from when the waste material G0 is supplied from the storage unit 11 to the dryer 13, to when the synthesis gas G1 is then generated in the gasification device 14, and to when the synthesis gas G1 is introduced into the organic substance generation unit 17.

[0049] 1, the gas amount detector 20 is provided in a stage upstream of the post-treatment device 18, but the gas amount detector 20 does not have to be provided in a stage upstream of the post-treatment device 18 and may be provided in a stage downstream of the post-treatment device 18. Therefore, as described above, when a heat exchanger, a gas cooling tower, a filtration-type dust collector, and a water scrubber are provided as the post-treatment device 18 in this order from the upstream side, the gas amount detector 20 may be provided in a stage upstream of the heat exchanger or in a stage downstream of the water scrubber.

[0050] The gas quantity detector 20 generally comes into contact with the synthesis gas G1 to detect the gas quantity, but if it is installed downstream of the downstream treatment device 18, the synthesis gas G1 that has been purified, cooled, and otherwise processed will come into contact with the gas quantity detector 20, thereby preventing the gas quantity detector 20 from being deteriorated by the synthesis gas G1. On the other hand, if the gas amount detector 20 is provided upstream of the downstream treatment device 18, it is possible to detect the amount of synthesis gas G1 immediately after it flows from the gasification device 14 to the supply line 25. Therefore, it is possible to immediately detect fluctuations in the amount of synthesis gas G0 produced due to fluctuations in the components of the waste G0, and it is possible to control the amount of synthesis gas G1 flowing to the supply line 25 with higher accuracy.

[0051] Furthermore, when a plurality of processing devices are provided as post-processing device 18, gas amount detector 20 may be disposed between two of the processing devices in supply path 25. With such an arrangement, gas amount detector 20 is disposed somewhat upstream of the processing device in the upstream stage, so that deterioration of gas amount detector 20 due to synthesis gas G1 can be reduced and the amount of synthesis gas G1 supplied to organic substance generator 17 can be easily controlled with high precision. For example, as described above, when a heat exchanger, a gas cooling tower, a filter-type dust collector, and a water scrubber are provided in this order from the upstream side, the gas amount detector 20 may be disposed, for example, between the filter-type dust collector and the water scrubber. Also, when, for example, another treatment device is provided downstream of the heat exchanger, gas cooling tower, filter-type dust collector, and water scrubber as the downstream treatment device 18, the gas amount detector 20 may be disposed between the water scrubber and the other treatment device.

[0052] Next, the configuration of the heat exchanger, gas cooling tower, filter dust collector, and water scrubber will be described in more detail using an example in which the downstream treatment device 18 is configured in this order from the upstream side.

[0053] A heat exchanger is a device that uses a heat medium to cool the synthesis gas G1, and cools the synthesis gas G1 by transferring the thermal energy of the synthesis gas G1 to the heat medium. A boiler is preferably used as the heat exchanger. A boiler is a device that circulates water as a heat medium inside, and heats the circulating water using the thermal energy of the synthesis gas G1 to produce steam. When a boiler is used as the heat exchanger, the steam generated in the heat exchanger can be used to easily heat other devices, and the thermal energy of the synthesis gas G1 can be easily reused. Of course, devices other than boilers may also be used as the heat exchanger.

[0054] The temperature of the synthesis gas G1 is high inside the gasification apparatus 14, and the synthesis gas discharged from the gasification apparatus 14 also reaches a high temperature of, for example, 900°C or more, as described above. However, the synthesis gas G1 is cooled by the heat exchanger and is supplied to the downstream gas cooling tower at a relatively low temperature, thereby preventing excessive cooling in the gas cooling tower. The heat exchanger cools the synthesis gas G1 supplied at a high temperature of, for example, 900°C or higher, to a temperature of, for example, 200°C to 300°C, preferably 240°C to 280°C, and then supplies the cooled gas to the gas cooling tower.

[0055] The synthesis gas G1 discharged from the heat exchanger then passes through a gas cooling tower, where it is further cooled. The synthesis gas G1 is introduced into the gas cooling tower, for example, from its upper side and passed through the interior so as to form a downward air current. While passing through the interior, the synthesis gas G1 is cooled by water sprayed from water spray nozzles provided on the inner circumferential surface of the cooling tower. The synthesis gas G1 cooled in the gas cooling tower is preferably discharged from the lower side of the gas cooling tower.

[0056] The synthesis gas G1 introduced into the gas cooling tower has a temperature well above 100°C, while the water sprayed from the water spray nozzle is lower than 100°C. Therefore, the synthesis gas G1 is cooled by this temperature difference and also by the heat of vaporization when the water sprayed from the water spray nozzle vaporizes. It is preferable that some of the vaporized water is mixed into the synthesis gas G1 as water vapor. Note that the water sprayed from the water spray nozzle may be partially or completely vaporized when sprayed.

[0057] In the gas cooling tower, the synthesis gas G1 is cooled to a temperature of preferably 100°C or higher and 200°C or lower, more preferably 120°C or higher and 180°C or lower, even more preferably 130°C or higher and 170°C or lower, and even more preferably 140°C or higher and 160°C or lower in the gas cooling tower, and is then cooled to these temperatures and discharged outside the gas cooling tower. By cooling the synthesis gas to 200°C or less, the synthesis gas can be purified in a filter-type dust collector (described later) without damaging the filter-type dust collector or reducing its dust collection performance. Furthermore, by cooling the temperature to 100°C or higher, most of the sprayed water vaporizes and is mixed into the synthesis gas. Therefore, since a large amount of sprayed water is not discharged from the gas cooling tower, there is no need to install a large-scale drainage facility in the gas cooling tower.

[0058] The filter-type dust collector can be a so-called bag filter, and solid impurities such as tar and char are removed by passing the synthesis gas cooled in the gas cooling tower through it. Removing the solid impurities prevents the solid impurities from clogging the devices downstream of the filter-type dust collector. In this specification, "removal" means reducing the concentration of the target substance in the gas by removing at least a portion of the target substance from the synthesis gas, and is not limited to completely removing the target substance.

[0059] The synthesis gas that has passed through the filter-type dust collector may then be passed through a water scrubber. The water scrubber removes impurities contained in the synthesis gas by bringing the synthesis gas passing through the scrubber into contact with water. The water scrubber removes water-soluble impurities such as acidic gases such as hydrogen sulfide, hydrogen chloride, and hydrocyanic acid, basic gases such as ammonia, and oxides such as NOx and SOx. Oil-based impurities such as BTEX (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylene), naphthalene, 1-naphthol, and 2-naphthol may also be removed as appropriate.

[0060] The water scrubber is not particularly limited as long as it has a configuration that brings the synthesis gas G1 into contact with water. For example, it may have a configuration in which water sprayed from a nozzle provided at the top (hereinafter, for convenience, also referred to as "washing water") comes into contact with the synthesis gas G1 passing through the inside of the water scrubber from the bottom to the top. The water scrubber may cool the synthesis gas G1 by bringing the synthesis gas G1 into contact with wash water. As described above, the synthesis gas G1 is cooled in a gas cooling tower and introduced into the water scrubber in a state cooled to a predetermined temperature, while the temperature of the wash water that comes into contact with the synthesis gas in the water scrubber is less than 100°C, preferably 0°C or higher and 40°C or lower, more preferably 5°C or higher and 30°C or lower. The synthesis gas G1 comes into contact with water at the above temperature in the water scrubber, whereby it is cooled to a temperature below 100°C, preferably 40°C or less. Furthermore, the synthesis gas G1 comes into contact with wash water in the water scrubber, whereby it is cooled to a temperature of, for example, 10°C or more, preferably 20°C or more, and more preferably 30°C or more. By keeping the synthesis gas G1 at a temperature between 30°C and 40°C, even if it is supplied to the organic substance production section 17 at that temperature, the production efficiency of the organic substance in the microbial catalyst is not reduced and the microbial catalyst is not killed. Furthermore, the synthesis gas G1 can be passed through a water scrubber, where the synthesis gas G1 is cleaned and cooled, while water mixed in the synthesis gas G1 can be removed in a gas cooling tower.

[0061] The synthesis gas discharged from the filter-type dust collector or the water scrubber may, as necessary, be passed through one or more of the above-mentioned treatment devices other than the heat exchanger, the gas cooling tower, the filter-type dust collector, and the water scrubber to appropriately purify, cool, etc. the synthesis gas. In the above description, a configuration has been described in which the heat exchanger, gas cooling tower, filter dust collector, and water scrubber are all provided downstream of the gasification apparatus 14, but some or all of these may be omitted. For example, even if the water scrubber is omitted, another cooling device may be provided downstream to cool the synthesis gas G1 to 40°C or less before supplying it to the organic substance generation section 17. Furthermore, at least one or more of the heat exchanger, gas cooling tower, and filter dust collector may be omitted, or the synthesis gas may be purified, cooled, etc. using only treatment devices other than the heat exchanger, gas cooling tower, filter dust collector, and water scrubber.

[0062] <Second embodiment> Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the first embodiment, the amount of synthesis gas G1 supplied to organic substance generator 17 is adjusted by changing the amount of waste G0 supplied to gasifier 14. In this embodiment, however, the amount of synthesis gas G1 supplied to organic substance generator 17 is adjusted by returning a portion of synthesis gas G1 flowing through supply path 25 to gasifier 14. The organic substance manufacturing apparatus and the organic substance manufacturing method according to the second embodiment will be described in detail below with reference to Fig. 2. In the following description, the same configurations as those in the first embodiment will be omitted and only the differences will be described. Also, the same reference numerals will be used to designate components having similar configurations.

[0063] The organic substance production apparatus 30 according to the second embodiment includes a return path 31 connected midway through the supply path 25. The return path 31 is further connected to the gasifier 14. The return path 31 is configured with piping or the like. The return path 31 is preferably connected to the supply path 25 via a valve 32. A known valve such as an electromagnetic valve or a manual valve can be used as the valve 32. The valve 32 can be switched between open and closed. Furthermore, when the valve 32 is opened, its opening degree can also be adjusted. With the above configuration, the return path 31 returns a portion of the synthesis gas G0 flowing through the supply path 25 to the gasifier 14, thereby reducing the amount of synthesis gas G1 flowing through the supply path 25 and further the amount of synthesis gas G1 supplied to the organic substance production unit 17.

[0064] In this embodiment, the valve 32 is adjusted according to the gas amount detected by the gas amount detector 20, thereby returning a portion of the synthesis gas G0 flowing through the supply path 25 to the gasification device 14 via the return path 31, thereby controlling the amount of synthesis gas G1 supplied to the organic matter generation unit 17. Specifically, if the amount of gas detected by the gas amount detector 20 exceeds a reference value, the valve 32 is opened. As a result, if the detected amount of gas exceeds the reference value, part of the synthesis gas G1 flowing through the supply path 25 is returned to the gasification device 14 via the return path 31. Furthermore, the degree of opening of the valve 32 can be adjusted depending on the detected gas amount. Therefore, the greater the difference between the detected gas amount and the reference value, that is, the greater the detected gas amount, the greater the degree of opening, and thus the amount of synthesis gas G1 returned to the gasification device 14 via the return path 31 also increases. With this configuration, even in this embodiment, variation in the amount of gas supplied to the organic substance production unit 17 is reduced, and organic substances such as ethanol can be produced stably and efficiently in the organic substance production unit 17.

[0065] The amount of gas detected by the gas amount detector 20 may be output to a control unit (not shown) or the like, and the control unit may adjust the opening / closing and the opening degree of the valve 32 based on the input data regarding the amount of gas. The opening / closing and the opening degree of the valve 32 may also be adjusted manually based on the amount of gas detected by the gas amount detector 20.

[0066] The synthesis gas G1 returned to the gasification apparatus 14 via the return line 31 is supplied to, for example, the gasification furnace 15. The synthesis gas G1 returned to the gasification furnace 15 may be at least partially combusted in the gasification furnace 15 and used to maintain the temperature of the gasification furnace 15. Alternatively, the synthesis gas G1 may be sent to the reformer 16 without being combusted in the gasification furnace 15. The synthesis gas G1 returned to the gasification apparatus 14 via the return path 31 does not need to be supplied to the gasification furnace 15, but may be supplied to the reformer 16, or may be supplied to both the gasification furnace 15 and the reformer 16. The synthesis gas G1 returned to the reformer 16 may be sent to the supply path 25 as synthesis gas G1 largely without being combusted, or a portion of it may be combusted and used to maintain the temperature of the reformer 16. Furthermore, when a gasification furnace and a reformer are integrated into one unit as the gasification system 14, the synthesis gas G1 may be supplied to the integrated unit.

[0067] 2, the return path 31 is preferably connected to the supply path 25 at a stage subsequent to the gas amount detector 20. With this configuration, the gas amount detector 20 can detect the amount of gas before being returned to the gasification apparatus 14 via the return path 31, i.e., the total amount of synthesis gas G1 generated in the gasification apparatus 14, and can adjust the flow rate of the subsequent stages in the supply path 25 based on the detected total amount. This makes it possible to more accurately and quickly control the amount of synthesis gas G1 supplied to the organic substance production unit 17. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the return line 31 is preferably connected to the supply line 25 at a stage upstream of the post-stage treatment device 18, as shown in Fig. 2. Furthermore, for example, when at least a gas cooling tower, a filter-type dust collector, and a water scrubber are provided as the post-stage treatment device 18 as described above, the return line 31 may be connected to the supply line 25 at a stage upstream of the gas cooling tower. With this configuration, the synthesis gas G1 is returned to the gasification device 14 without being treated in the post-stage treatment device 18 (or the gas cooling tower, the filter-type dust collector, and the water scrubber), and therefore energy loss due to the treatment in the post-stage treatment device 18 can be reduced.

[0068] However, as described above, gas amount detector 20 does not have to be disposed in the stage preceding downstream processing device 18, and may be disposed in the stage following downstream processing device 18, or may be disposed between two processing devices when two or more processing devices are provided as downstream processing device 18. In that case, return path 31 may also be connected to supply path 25 in the stage following downstream processing device 18, or may be connected to supply path 25 between two processing devices when two or more processing devices are provided as downstream processing device 18.

[0069] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the return line 31 does not necessarily need to be connected to the supply line 25 at a stage downstream of the gas amount detector 20, but may be connected to the supply line 25 at a stage upstream of the gas amount detector 20. Therefore, for example, the return line 31 may be connected to the supply line 25 at a stage upstream of the downstream treatment device 18, and the gas amount detector 20 may be arranged downstream of at least one of the treatment devices in the downstream treatment device 18. Furthermore, for example, the supply line 25 may have, in order from the upstream side, a connection portion with the return line 31, at least one treatment device, and the gas amount detector 20. More specifically, in a case where at least a gas cooling tower, a filter-type dust collector, and a water scrubber are provided as the downstream treatment device 18 as described above, the return line 31 may be connected to the supply line 25 at a stage upstream of the gas cooling tower, while the gas amount detector 20 may be provided downstream of the water scrubber, or may be arranged, for example, between the filter-type dust collector and the water scrubber or between the gas cooling tower and the filter-type dust collector. According to the above configurations, the synthesis gas G1 is returned to the gasification apparatus 14 without being processed or after being processed as little as possible in the downstream treatment apparatus 18, thereby reducing energy loss due to the treatment of the synthesis gas G1. On the other hand, the gas amount detector 20 can detect the flow rate of the synthesis gas G1 that has been treated in various treatment apparatuses, thereby preventing deterioration of the gas amount detector 20 due to the synthesis gas G1.

[0070] Of course, in the present invention, the return path 31 may be connected to any position as long as it is connected to the supply path 25. Similarly, the gas amount detector 20 may be disposed at any position on the supply path 25.

[0071] <Other embodiments> The organic substance manufacturing apparatus and organic substance manufacturing method described above in relation to each embodiment are examples of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to the configurations of the above embodiments. Various improvements and modifications are possible within the scope of the present invention, and components may be added as appropriate.

[0072] For example, in each of the above embodiments, the amount of the synthesis gas G1 supplied to the organic substance generation unit 17 is adjusted by changing the amount of waste G0 supplied to the gasification device 14 or returning a portion of the synthesis gas via the return path 31 based on the amount of gas detected by the gas amount detector 20, but the amount of the synthesis gas G1 supplied to the organic substance generation unit 17 may also be adjusted by other configurations.

[0073] Furthermore, the amount of synthesis gas G1 supplied to the organic substance generator 17 may be controlled by both changing the amount of waste G0 supplied to the gasifier 14 and returning a portion of the synthesis gas G1 to the gasifier 14. This configuration makes it even easier to control the amount of synthesis gas G1 supplied to the organic substance generator 17. In this case, too, control can be performed in the same manner as in the first and second embodiments. For example, if the amount of gas detected by the gas amount detector 20 is greater than a reference value, the amount of waste G0 supplied can be reduced, and further, part of the synthesis gas G1 can be returned to the gasification device 14. Furthermore, if the amount of gas detected by the gas amount detector 20 is less than the reference value, the amount of waste G0 supplied can be increased.

[0074] Although the above describes an example in which a microbial catalyst is used as the catalyst, the catalyst is not limited to a microbial catalyst. For example, a metal catalyst may also be used. Even when a metal catalyst is used, the organic substance production unit 17 may include a reactor, and the organic substance may be produced by contacting the synthesis gas G1 with the metal catalyst inside the reactor. The temperature inside the reactor may be maintained at, for example, 100 to 400°C, preferably 100 to 300°C. Therefore, in the post-processing device 18, the synthesis gas G1 does not need to be cooled to 40°C or below. Instead, the combination of the post-processing device 18 may be appropriately changed to adjust the synthesis gas G1 to a state (temperature and impurity content) suitable for the reaction with the metal catalyst. Even when a metal catalyst is used, as described above, by controlling the amount of synthesis gas G1 supplied to the organic substance production unit 17, variations in the gas amount can be suppressed, allowing for stable and efficient production of organic substances.

[0075] The metal catalyst may be a hydrogenation active metal or a combination of a hydrogenation active metal and a co-active metal. The hydrogenation active metal may be any metal known to be capable of synthesizing ethanol from a mixed gas, including, for example, alkali metals such as lithium and sodium, elements belonging to Group 7 of the periodic table such as manganese and rhenium, elements belonging to Group 8 of the periodic table such as ruthenium, elements belonging to Group 9 of the periodic table such as cobalt and rhodium, and elements belonging to Group 10 of the periodic table such as nickel and palladium. These hydrogenation active metals may be used alone or in combination of two or more. As the hydrogenation active metal, a combination of rhodium or ruthenium with an alkali metal and another hydrogenation active metal, such as a combination of rhodium, manganese and lithium, or a combination of ruthenium, rhenium and sodium, is preferred, in terms of further improving the CO conversion rate and the ethanol selectivity. Examples of the promoter active metal include titanium, magnesium, vanadium, etc. By supporting a promoter active metal in addition to a hydrogenation active metal, it is possible to further increase the CO conversion rate, ethanol selectivity, etc. The metal catalyst is preferably a rhodium-based catalyst. The rhodium-based catalyst may be used in combination with a metal catalyst other than the rhodium-based catalyst. Examples of the other metal catalyst include a catalyst in which copper alone or copper and a transition metal other than copper are supported on a carrier.

[0076] Furthermore, in each of the above embodiments, the dryer 13 is provided, and the waste G0 dried by the dryer 13 is supplied to the gasification device 14, but the dryer 13 may be omitted. In this case, the waste G0 stored in the storage unit 11 may be supplied to the gasification device 14 by the various waste supply means described above without passing through the dryer 13. Furthermore, the storage unit 11 may be omitted, and the received waste G0 may be supplied to the dryer 13 or the gasifier 14 without passing through the storage unit 11. Furthermore, the waste G0 dried by the dryer 13 may be temporarily stored in a storage unit different from the storage unit 11 and then supplied to the gasification device . [Explanation of symbols]

[0077] 10, 30 Organic substance production equipment 11 Storage section 12 Platform 13 Dryer 14 Gasifier 15 Gasifier 16 Reformer 17 Organic substance generation part 18 Post-processing device 20 Gas volume detector 22 Crane 23 Dust feeder (waste supply means) 25 Supply Channels 31 Return Route 32 valves G0 waste G1 Syngas

Claims

1. gasifying the waste in a gasifier to produce synthesis gas; supplying the synthesis gas to an organic substance production unit via a supply path and bringing the synthesis gas into contact with a catalyst in the organic substance production unit to produce an organic substance; detecting the amount of the synthesis gas flowing through the supply path; controlling the amount of the synthesis gas supplied to the organic substance production unit in accordance with the detected amount of gas; A method for producing an organic substance comprising:

2. The organic substance production method according to claim 1, wherein the amount of the synthesis gas supplied to the organic substance production unit is controlled by changing the amount of the waste supplied to the gasification device according to the detected amount of gas.

3. a return path for returning the synthesis gas to the gasification device is connected to the supply path; 3. The organic substance production method according to claim 1, wherein if the detected amount of gas is greater than a reference value, the amount of the synthesis gas supplied to the organic substance production unit is controlled by returning a portion of the synthesis gas flowing through the supply path to the gasification device via the return path.

4. The method for producing an organic substance according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the catalyst is a microbial catalyst.

5. The method for producing an organic substance according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the organic substance contains ethanol.

6. 6. The method for producing an organic substance according to claim 1, wherein the waste material is dried in a dryer and then supplied to a gasification apparatus.

7. a gasifier that gasifies waste to produce synthesis gas; an organic substance generating unit that generates an organic substance by bringing the synthesis gas into contact with a catalyst; a supply path for supplying the synthesis gas generated in the gasification device to an organic substance generation unit; a gas amount detector for detecting the amount of the synthesis gas flowing through the supply path, The organic substance producing apparatus controls the amount of the synthesis gas supplied to the organic substance producing unit in accordance with the amount of gas detected by the gas amount detector.

8. a waste supply means for supplying waste to the gasification apparatus; 8. The organic substance manufacturing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the waste supply means controls the amount of the synthesis gas supplied to the organic substance generation unit by changing the amount of the waste supplied to the gasification unit in accordance with the amount of gas detected by the gas amount detector.

9. 9. The organic substance manufacturing apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising a return path connected to the supply path and for returning the synthesis gas flowing through the supply path to the gasification apparatus.

10. 10. The organic substance manufacturing apparatus of claim 9, wherein if the detected gas amount is greater than a reference value, the amount of the synthesis gas supplied to the organic substance generation unit is controlled by returning a portion of the synthesis gas flowing in the supply path to the gasification device via the return path.

11. The organic substance producing apparatus according to any one of claims 7 to 10, wherein the catalyst is a microbial catalyst.

12. The organic substance manufacturing apparatus according to any one of claims 7 to 11, wherein the organic substance contains ethanol.

13. a dryer for drying the waste; a waste supply means for supplying the waste dried in the dryer to the gasification apparatus; The organic substance manufacturing apparatus according to any one of claims 7 to 12, comprising:

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