Pellet manufacturing apparatus and pellet manufacturing method

Abstract

The present invention provides a pellet manufacturing apparatus and a pellet manufacturing method that can stably and efficiently produce pellets with desired properties from raw materials including food by-products and spent mushroom substrate. [Solution] The system comprises multiple raw material tanks 13, each storing different types of raw materials separately; a mixing device 24, which mixes the raw materials stored in the raw material tanks 13 to produce raw materials; and a granulating device 32, which presses the raw materials produced by the mixing device 24 to form pellets. The raw material tanks 13 include a food by-product tank 13b, which stores raw materials including food by-products, and a spent mushroom substrate tank 13a, which stores raw materials including spent mushroom substrate. Pellets are produced from raw materials containing at least food by-products and spent mushroom substrate. This makes it possible to effectively reuse food by-products and spent mushroom substrate, which were previously difficult to reuse, and to stably and efficiently produce environmentally friendly, high-quality pellets.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a pellet manufacturing apparatus and a pellet manufacturing method for manufacturing pellets from raw materials including food by-products and waste mushroom beds.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, it has been known to manufacture pellets for fuel or the like using woody biomass or the like as a raw material. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a pellet manufacturing apparatus that pulverizes and compresses a biomass material into pellets. The pellet manufacturing apparatus disclosed in the same document includes a box having an inlet for a biomass material at the upper part and an outlet for pellets at the lower part, and a die provided so as to vertically partition the internal space of the box and having a hole group formed by a large number of through-holes penetrating vertically, and a pushing roller disposed above the die and configured to roll over the hole group to pulverize the biomass material introduced from the inlet between the die and compress it while pushing it into and passing through each through-hole to form pellets.

[0003] Also, for example, Patent Document 2 discloses an extrusion molding machine for manufacturing wood pellets. The extrusion molding machine disclosed in the same document includes a single-axis screw rotatably provided by being connected to a motor, a cylindrical body in which the screw is horizontally accommodated inside, a raw material supply port provided at the upper part near the rear end of the cylindrical body for supplying a wood raw material, and a die provided at the tip of the cylindrical body and having a large number of extrusion holes formed therein.

[0004] Also, for example, Patent Document 3 discloses a method for manufacturing fuel pellets having a drying step of drying a woody biomass and a factory residue, a mixing step of mixing the dried woody biomass and the factory residue to produce a mixed fuel, and a pelletizing step of extruding and molding the mixed fuel into fuel pellets.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

[0006] In the production of snack foods and other products, as well as spent mushroom substrate used in the cultivation of shiitake mushrooms and other mushrooms, efforts are being made to reduce the amount that is ultimately discarded and to utilize these materials effectively by composting or converting them into animal feed for agricultural use.

[0007] However, food by-products and spent mushroom substrate are not easily processed for reuse, and are often disposed of by incineration or landfill without being reused. In particular, it is difficult to produce pellets that can be used as fuel from food by-products and spent mushroom substrate, and conventional pellet manufacturing equipment has not been able to produce pellets from raw materials that include food by-products and spent mushroom substrate.

[0008] Specifically, conventional pellet manufacturing methods have the problem that it is not easy to maintain a stable quality of the pellets produced. When using food by-products and spent mushroom substrate as raw materials for pellets, the quality of the pellets varies greatly depending on the type, composition, moisture content, and mixing ratio of the raw materials such as food by-products, spent mushroom substrate, and wood.

[0009] In particular, spent mushroom substrate has a high moisture content, making it difficult to process for reuse. As a result, it is not used as a raw material for pellets, and currently, much of it is discarded. Furthermore, when manufacturing pellets for fuel, food by-products and spent mushroom substrate have a lower combustion rate compared to wood chips, making it difficult to increase the calorific value of the resulting pellets.

[0010] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and its object is to provide a pellet manufacturing apparatus and a pellet manufacturing method that can stably and efficiently produce pellets with desired properties from raw materials including food by-products and spent mushroom substrate. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] The pellet manufacturing apparatus of the present invention comprises a plurality of raw material tanks in which a plurality of types of raw materials are stored separately by type; a mixing device that mixes the raw materials stored in the raw material tanks to produce raw materials; and a granulating device that presses the raw materials produced by the mixing device to form pellets. The raw material tanks include a food by-product tank in which the raw materials, including food by-products, are stored, and a spent mushroom substrate tank in which the raw materials, including spent mushroom substrate, are stored. The apparatus is characterized in that pellets are manufactured from the raw materials, including at least the food by-products and the spent mushroom substrate.

[0012] Furthermore, the pellet manufacturing method of the present invention comprises a mixing step of mixing multiple types of raw materials, and a granulation step of pressing the raw materials mixed in the mixing step to form pellets, characterized in that at least food by-products and spent mushroom substrate are used as the raw materials. [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] The pellet manufacturing apparatus of the present invention comprises a plurality of raw material tanks, each storing a plurality of raw materials separately by type; a mixing device, which mixes the raw materials stored in the raw material tanks to produce raw materials; and a granulating device, which presses the raw materials produced by the mixing device to form pellets. The raw material tanks include a food by-product tank, which stores the raw materials including food by-products, and a spent mushroom substrate tank, which stores the raw materials including spent mushroom substrate. The pellets are manufactured from the raw materials, which include at least the food by-products and spent mushroom substrate. This makes it possible to effectively reuse food by-products and spent mushroom substrate, which were previously difficult to reuse, and to manufacture environmentally friendly, high-quality pellets.

[0014] Furthermore, the pellet manufacturing apparatus of the present invention may be equipped with a coarse crushing device upstream of the spent mushroom substrate tank for coarsely crushing the spent mushroom substrate sent to the spent mushroom substrate tank. This allows the coarsely crushed spent mushroom substrate to be efficiently mixed with other raw materials, enabling the stable and efficient production of pellets with desired properties.

[0015] Furthermore, the pellet manufacturing apparatus of the present invention may be equipped with a pre-drying device upstream of the spent mushroom substrate tank, which heats the spent mushroom substrate sent to the spent mushroom substrate tank to evaporate the moisture contained in the spent mushroom substrate. This lowers the moisture content of the spent mushroom substrate, allowing the raw materials containing the spent mushroom substrate to be efficiently mixed with other raw materials, and enabling the stable and efficient production of pellets with desired properties.

[0016] Furthermore, the pellet manufacturing apparatus of the present invention may include oilseed meal as a raw material. This allows for the production of inexpensive pellets that are suitable as fuel, with a high calorific value and high combustion rate.

[0017] Furthermore, the pellet manufacturing apparatus of the present invention may be provided with a pre-mixing device upstream of the food by-product tank for mixing the oil cake with the food by-products sent to the food by-product tank. This allows the oil cake to be efficiently and stably supplied to the mixing device, enabling the efficient production of pellets with a high combustion rate and stable properties.

[0018] Furthermore, the pellet manufacturing method of the present invention comprises a mixing step of mixing multiple types of raw materials and a granulation step of pressing the raw materials mixed in the mixing step to form pellets, wherein at least food by-products and spent mushroom substrate are used as the raw materials. This makes it possible to effectively reuse food by-products and spent mushroom substrate, which were previously difficult to reuse, and to manufacture environmentally friendly, high-quality pellets.

[0019] Further, in the pellet manufacturing method of the present invention, before the mixing step is executed, a coarse crushing step of coarsely crushing the waste mushroom bed and a pre-drying step of heating the waste mushroom bed crushed in the coarse crushing step to evaporate the moisture contained in the waste mushroom bed may be executed. Thereby, the waste mushroom bed that has been coarsely crushed and has low moisture content due to the removal of moisture can be efficiently mixed with other raw materials, and pellets with desired properties can be stably and efficiently manufactured.

[0020] Also, in the pellet manufacturing method of the present invention, oil cake may be used as the raw material. Thereby, pellets suitable for fuel with high calorific value and high combustion rate and low cost can be obtained.

[0021] Further, in the pellet manufacturing method of the present invention, a pre-mixing step of mixing the food by-product and the oil cake may be executed before the mixing step is executed. Thereby, the oil cake can be efficiently and stably sent to the mixing device, and pellets with high combustion rate and stable properties can be efficiently manufactured.

[0022] Also, in the pellet manufacturing method of the present invention, the raw materials input into the pellet manufacturing device contain 5 to 15% by weight of the food by-product, 20 to 35% by weight of the waste mushroom bed, 3 to 10% by weight of the oil cake, and 40% by weight or more of wood chips, and the pellets may be fuel. Thereby, fuel pellets with high calorific value, high combustion rate, and stable properties can be efficiently manufactured at low cost.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0023] [Figure 1] It is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a pellet manufacturing device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] It is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a control device of a pellet manufacturing device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] It is a flowchart showing a pellet manufacturing process of a pellet manufacturing device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0024] Hereinafter, a pellet manufacturing apparatus 1 and a pellet manufacturing method according to embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Figure 1 is a diagram showing the schematic configuration of a pellet manufacturing apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to Figure 1, the pellet manufacturing apparatus 1 is an apparatus that manufactures pellets from raw materials including food by-products such as snack foods and spent mushroom substrate such as shiitake mushrooms.

[0025] Food by-products refer to food or food ingredient residues generated during the production of food products at food manufacturing plants, restaurants, etc., as well as waste from unsold food products. Spent mushroom substrate refers to the residue of substrates used in the cultivation of mushrooms such as shiitake mushrooms.

[0026] Furthermore, the pellet manufacturing apparatus 1 may be used as a device for manufacturing pellets from raw materials including food by-products and spent mushroom substrate, as well as woody biomass such as wood chips and sawdust. The pellets manufactured by the pellet manufacturing apparatus 1 are used as fuel, fertilizer, etc.

[0027] Furthermore, the pellet manufacturing apparatus 1 may be used to manufacture pellets from raw materials that include oilseed meal in addition to food by-products, spent mushroom substrate, and wood chips. Pellets manufactured from raw materials that include oilseed meal have a high calorific value, a high combustion rate, and are inexpensive, making them particularly suitable as fuel.

[0028] The pellet manufacturing apparatus 1 comprises a raw material tank 13, a foreign matter removal device 16, a crushing device 20, a mixing device 24, an intermediate hopper 29, a granulation device 32, a heating device 42, a cooling device 45, and a weighing and packaging device 48, all connected in the order of the pellet processing steps.

[0029] The raw material tank 13 is a tank into which the raw materials for the pellets are fed and stored. The raw material tank 13 may have a hopper (not shown). The raw materials for the pellets, such as wood chips, are fed into and stored inside the raw material tank 13 via the hopper.

[0030] Multiple raw material tanks 13 are provided so that different types of raw materials can be stored separately in different raw material tanks 13. Specifically, for example, four raw material tanks 13, i.e., raw material tanks 13a, 13b, 13c, and 13d, may be provided. Different types of raw materials can be stored in each of the raw material tanks 13a, 13b, 13c, and 13d.

[0031] For example, raw material tank 13a is a spent mushroom substrate tank that stores raw materials including spent mushroom substrate, and raw material tank 13b is a food by-product tank that stores raw materials including food by-products. Raw material tank 13c is a wood tank that stores raw materials including, for example, wood chips. Raw material tank 13d may store other types of wood chips, food by-products, etc. In addition, other tanks not shown may be provided as raw material tank 13.

[0032] Upstream of the raw material tank 13a, which is a spent mushroom substrate tank, a spent mushroom substrate hopper 50, a coarse crushing device 53, and a pre-drying device 57 are provided. The spent mushroom substrate hopper 50 is an inlet for introducing spent mushroom substrate, the coarse crushing device 53 is a device for roughly crushing the spent mushroom substrate, and the pre-drying device 57 is a device for evaporating the moisture contained in the spent mushroom substrate.

[0033] More specifically, the spent mushroom substrate hopper 50 is located upstream of the crushing device 53 and serves as an inlet for feeding raw materials, including spent mushroom substrate, into the crushing device 53. A spent mushroom substrate feeder 51 is provided in the path connecting the crushing device 53 and the spent mushroom substrate hopper 50 to send the raw materials, including spent mushroom substrate, that have been fed into the spent mushroom substrate hopper 50 to the crushing device 53.

[0034] The spent mushroom substrate feeder 51 is a screw feeder that rotates around a coaxial axis, for example, that is the same as the piping used to supply the raw materials, and supplies the raw materials in the direction of the rotation axis. The spent mushroom substrate feeder 51 is connected to a spent mushroom substrate feeder motor 52 that rotates the spent mushroom substrate feeder 51, either directly or via a power transmission mechanism (not shown).

[0035] The coarse crushing device 53 is equipped with a coarse crushing tool that roughly crushes the raw materials, including spent mushroom substrate, that have been fed into the spent mushroom substrate hopper 50 while rotating, and a coarse crushing motor 54 that rotates and drives the coarse crushing tool. This allows the coarsely crushed spent mushroom substrate to be efficiently mixed with other raw materials, enabling the stable and efficient production of pellets with the desired properties.

[0036] Downstream of the coarse crushing device 53, a pre-drying device 57 is provided. The coarse crushing device 53 and the pre-drying device 57 are connected by a route such as piping that can transport raw materials, and a spent mushroom substrate feeder 55 for supplying raw materials is provided in this route. The spent mushroom substrate feeder 55 is, like the spent mushroom substrate feeder 51, for example, a screw feeder. The spent mushroom substrate feeder 55 is connected to a spent mushroom substrate feeder motor 56 that rotates the spent mushroom substrate feeder 55.

[0037] The pre-drying device 57 is a device that heats the raw materials, including the spent mushroom substrate, to evaporate the moisture contained in the spent mushroom substrate. The pre-drying device 57 is equipped with a dryer 58 for drying the spent mushroom substrate. The dryer 58 consists of, for example, a heater for heating the raw materials, a stirrer for stirring, and a fan for blowing air, and removes the moisture contained in the spent mushroom substrate by evaporation.

[0038] The pre-drying device 57 is connected to the raw material tank 13a via a path equipped with a spent mushroom substrate feeder 59, enabling the transport of raw materials including dried spent mushroom substrate. The spent mushroom substrate feeder 59 is, for example, a screw feeder and is rotationally driven by a spent mushroom substrate feeder motor 60.

[0039] Thus, by providing a pre-drying device 57 upstream of the raw material tank 13a, which is a spent mushroom substrate tank, moisture contained in the spent mushroom substrate can be removed before mixing it with other raw materials, allowing the spent mushroom substrate with reduced moisture content to be efficiently mixed with the other raw materials. Therefore, pellets with the desired properties can be produced stably and efficiently.

[0040] Furthermore, upstream of the raw material tank 13b, which is a food by-product tank, a food by-product hopper 61, an oil cake hopper 62, and a pre-mixing device 67 are provided. Specifically, the food by-product hopper 61 is an inlet for introducing raw materials containing food by-products, and the oil cake hopper 62 is an inlet for introducing raw materials containing oil cake. The pre-mixing device 67 is a device that mixes the raw materials containing food by-products with the raw materials containing oil cake.

[0041] The food by-product hopper 61 is connected to the inlet of the pre-mixing device 67, and a food by-product feeder 63 is provided in the path connecting the food by-product hopper 61 and the pre-mixing device 67 to send raw materials, including food by-products, that have been fed into the food by-product hopper 61 to the pre-mixing device 67. The food by-product feeder 63 is, for example, a screw feeder and is rotationally driven by a food by-product feeder motor 64.

[0042] Furthermore, the oil cake hopper 62 is connected to the inlet of the pre-mixing device 67, similar to the pre-mixing device 67. An oil cake feeder 65 may be provided in the path connecting the oil cake hopper 62 and the pre-mixing device 67 to send the raw materials, including oil cake, that have been fed into the oil cake hopper 62 to the pre-mixing device 67. The oil cake feeder 65 is, for example, a screw feeder and is rotationally driven by an oil cake feeder motor 66.

[0043] The pre-mixing device 67 is a device that pre-mixes, or pre-mixes, the raw materials containing food by-products that have been put into the food by-product hopper 61 and the raw materials containing oil cakes that have been put into the oil cake hopper 62, before all the raw materials are mixed in the mixing device 24.

[0044] The pre-mixing device 67 is equipped with a stirrer having a pre-mixing stirring motor 68 and stirring blades that are rotated by the pre-mixing stirring motor 68. The stirring blades, driven by the pre-mixing stirring motor 68, pre-mix the food by-products and oilseed meal. This allows the food by-products and oilseed meal to be delivered efficiently and stably, enabling the efficient production of pellets with a high combustion rate and stable properties.

[0045] The pre-mixing device 67 is connected to the raw material tank 13b, which is a food by-product tank, via a transport path having a pre-mixing raw material feeder 69. The pre-mixing raw material feeder 69 is, for example, a screw feeder and is rotationally driven by a pre-mixing raw material feeder motor 70. The raw materials, including food by-products and oilseed meal, pre-mixed in the pre-mixing device 67 are sent to the raw material tank 13b by the pre-mixing raw material feeder 69.

[0046] A foreign matter removal device 16 is provided downstream of the raw material tank 13. The raw material tank 13 and the foreign matter removal device 16 are connected in a manner that allows for the transport of raw materials. A raw material feeder 14 is provided in the path from the raw material tank 13 to the foreign matter removal device 16 for transporting raw materials.

[0047] The raw material feeder 14 is a screw feeder that rotates around a rotation axis coaxial with the piping used to supply the raw materials, and supplies the raw materials in the direction of the rotation axis. The raw material feeder 14 is connected to a raw material feeder motor 15 that rotates the raw material feeder 14, either directly or via a power transmission mechanism (not shown).

[0048] The raw material feeders 14 are provided for each of the multiple raw material tanks 13a, 13b, 13c, and 13d, each storing different types of raw materials separately. In other words, the path connecting the raw material feeders 14 and the foreign matter removal device 16 is provided with multiple raw material feeders 14, for example, four raw material feeders 14a, 14b, 14c, and 14d, which can separately deliver different types of raw materials. This allows for optimal control of the mixing ratio of different types of raw materials.

[0049] The foreign matter removal device 16 is a device that coarsely crushes the raw materials conveyed from the raw material feeder 14 and removes magnetic foreign matter by magnetic force. The foreign matter removal device 16 is equipped with a foreign matter removal motor 17 that rotates and drives the crushing tool and other components that coarsely crush the raw materials.

[0050] The foreign matter removal device 16 can remove impurities such as iron contained in the raw materials, preventing damage to the crushing device 20, mixing device 24, etc. used in subsequent processes due to these impurities. Furthermore, it prevents impurities such as iron from being contained in the pellets, ensuring safety when the pellets are used as fertilizer, etc.

[0051] A path is connected to the outlet of the foreign matter removal device 16 to send the raw material from which foreign matter has been removed to the crushing device 20. A foreign matter removal raw material feeder 18 is provided in the path connecting the foreign matter removal device 16 to the crushing device 20 to send the raw material.

[0052] The foreign matter removal raw material feeder 18 is, for example, a screw feeder. The foreign matter removal raw material feeder 18 is connected to a foreign matter removal raw material feeder motor 19 that rotates the foreign matter removal raw material feeder 18, either directly or via a power transmission mechanism (not shown).

[0053] The crushing device 20 is a device that crushes the raw materials conveyed from the foreign matter removal device 16 to a size suitable for pellet molding. The crushing device 20 is equipped with a crushing tool that crushes the raw materials to a predetermined size while rotating, and a crushing motor 21 that rotates and drives the crushing tool. This makes it possible to crush the raw materials to a size suitable for pellet molding.

[0054] The crushing device 20 is connected to the mixing device 24 via a path capable of transporting the crushed raw materials. A crushed raw material feeder 22 for supplying raw materials is provided in the path connecting the crushing device 20 and the mixing device 24.

[0055] The crushed raw material feeder 22 is, for example, a screw feeder. The crushed raw material feeder 22 is connected to a crushed raw material feeder motor 23 that rotates the crushed raw material feeder 22, either directly or via a power transmission mechanism (not shown).

[0056] Furthermore, the processing steps for raw materials by the aforementioned foreign matter removal device 16 and crushing device 20 may also be carried out by batch processing. That is, different types of raw materials sent from the respective raw material feeders 14a, 14b, 14c, and 14d may be processed in batches, with each raw material undergoing coarse crushing, foreign matter removal, and crushing processes before being sent to the mixing device 24.

[0057] Furthermore, the raw material processing steps using the aforementioned foreign matter removal device 16 and crushing device 20 may be configured to process different types of raw materials sent from the respective raw material feeders 14a, 14b, 14c, and 14d simultaneously.

[0058] The mixing device 24 is a device that mixes multiple different raw materials that have been introduced into multiple raw material tanks 13 and transported via a foreign matter removal device 16 and a crushing device 20. The mixing device 24 is equipped with a stirrer having a stirring motor 25 and stirring blades that are rotationally driven by the stirring motor 25. The different raw materials are mixed by the stirring blades that are rotated by the stirring motor 25.

[0059] An intermediate hopper 29 is connected to the mixing device 24, where the mixed pellet raw materials are temporarily stored. A mixed raw material feeder 27 is provided in the path connecting the mixing device 24 and the intermediate hopper 29 to transport the raw materials mixed in the mixing device 24.

[0060] The raw material mixing feeder 27 is, for example, a screw feeder. A raw material mixing feeder motor 28, which rotates the raw material mixing feeder 27, is connected to the raw material mixing feeder 27 either directly or via a power transmission mechanism (not shown).

[0061] Furthermore, the foreign matter removal device 16, the crushing device 20, and the mixing device 24 may be configured as a single device. In other words, the coarse crushing of the raw materials, foreign matter removal, crushing, and mixing may all be performed in a single device, for example, continuously.

[0062] A granulator 32 is connected to the outlet of the intermediate hopper 29. A feeder 30 is provided in the path connecting the intermediate hopper 29 and the granulator 32 to send the raw material stored in the intermediate hopper 29 to the granulator 32.

[0063] The feeder 30 is, for example, a screw feeder. A feeder motor 31, which rotates the feeder 30, is connected to the feeder 30 either directly or via a power transmission mechanism (not shown).

[0064] The granulation apparatus 32 is a dry granulation apparatus that compresses the raw material sent by the feeder 30 to form pellets. Specifically, the granulation apparatus 32 includes a die 36 in which through holes 37 are formed into which the raw material is pressed and pellets are formed, a compression roller 33 that rolls to press the raw material into the through holes 37, and a main motor 34 that rotates and drives the compression roller 33.

[0065] The die 36 is, for example, disc-shaped, and has numerous through holes 37 through which the raw material is pressed in, formed into pellets, and passed. The die 36 is arranged, for example, approximately horizontally, so as to divide the inside of the granulator 32 into an area where the raw material is fed and an area through which the pellets are extruded.

[0066] The compression rollers 33 are rolling rollers that press the raw material against the die 36, and multiple rollers are provided above the die 36, for example. The compression rollers 33 rotate around a central axis that extends vertically, i.e., a rotation axis located approximately at the same position as the center of the die 36, while rolling on the upper surface of the die 36 around a rolling axis that extends horizontally, i.e., approximately parallel to the upper surface of the die 36.

[0067] The granulation apparatus 32 is equipped with a main motor 34 that rotates the compression roller 33. The granulation apparatus 32 is also equipped with a hydraulic mechanism 38 that applies a pressing force to the compression roller 33 to press the raw material against the die 36. The hydraulic mechanism 38 uses hydraulic pressure to press the compression roller 33 toward the die 36 with a predetermined force.

[0068] The granulation apparatus 32 is connected to a conveyor 40, for example, which has a conveyor motor 41, as a means for transporting the generated pellets to the weighing and packaging apparatus 48. The conveyor 40 may also be provided with a heating device 42 for heating the generated pellets and a cooling device 45 for cooling the generated pellets.

[0069] The heating device 42 is a heating device having, for example, a heater 43 as a heating means. The cooling device 45 is a cooling device having, for example, a blower 46 for blowing air as a cooling means. The blower 46 is a cooling fan that blows air onto the pellets to cool them.

[0070] The heater 43 of the heating device 42 heats the pellets or the air blown onto the pellets, evaporating excess moisture contained in the pellets and drying them. Furthermore, by blowing cold air onto the pellets with the blower 46 of the cooling device 45, the pellets from which moisture has been removed by the heating device 42 can be cooled to a temperature suitable for the next packaging process. In other words, pellets with excellent properties can be sent to the weighing and packaging device 48 at a stable and appropriate temperature.

[0071] The weighing and packaging device 48 is a device that weighs and packages the generated pellets. The weighing and packaging device 48 is equipped with a pellet weighing sensor 49 for weighing the pellets, various other sensors (not shown) for detecting the quality of the pellets, and a packaging means (not shown) for automatically bagging a predetermined amount of pellets. The packaging means may be, for example, an industrial robot.

[0072] Figure 2 is a diagram showing the schematic configuration of the control device 10 of the pellet manufacturing apparatus 1. Referring to Figures 1 and 2, the pellet manufacturing apparatus 1 has a control device 10 that automatically controls the feeder motor 31 and other various drive mechanisms that constitute the pellet manufacturing apparatus 1.

[0073] The control device 10 is an arithmetic processing unit equipped with a microprocessor and the like, which performs predetermined calculations. Specifically, the control device 10 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit), ROM (Read-Only Memory), RAM (Random Access Memory), and the like.

[0074] The control device 10 includes an input unit 11 into which the user inputs various information such as pellet processing conditions and ON / OFF and other commands, and a display unit 12 that displays various measured values, processing process status, processing schedule, error information, etc. The input unit 11 and the display unit 12 are connected to the main body of the control device 10 by wire or wireless connection to enable information communication. The input unit 11 and the display unit 12 may be, for example, information communication terminals.

[0075] Various detection sensors are connected to the control device 10. For example, the control device 10 is connected via wired or wireless means to enable information communication between a raw material temperature sensor 71, a temperature sensor 26, a current sensor 35, a hydraulic pressure sensor 39, a moisture sensor 44, a pellet temperature sensor 47, a pellet weighing sensor 49, an air temperature sensor (not shown), a humidity sensor (not shown), a pressure sensor (not shown), an image sensor (not shown), and other sensors (not shown).

[0076] The raw material temperature sensor 71 is a sensor that detects the temperature of raw materials, for example, the temperature of raw materials that have had moisture removed in the pre-drying device 57 or that include spent mushroom substrate from which moisture has been removed. The raw material temperature sensor 71 is installed, for example, inside the pre-drying device 57 or in piping downstream of it. The raw material temperature sensor 71 may also be installed in other piping routes to detect the temperatures of other raw materials.

[0077] The temperature sensor 26 is installed in the mixing device 24 and detects the temperature of the raw materials that are mixed in the mixing device 24 and sent to the granulation device 32. Alternatively, the temperature sensor 26 may be installed in the intermediate hopper 29 to detect the temperature of the raw materials inside the intermediate hopper 29. Furthermore, the temperature sensor 26 may be installed in other piping routes or the like to detect the temperature of the raw materials.

[0078] The current sensor 35 is installed on the main motor 34 of the granulation apparatus 32 and is a sensor that detects the current value of the main motor 34. As will be described in detail later, the control device 10 performs a predetermined calculation based on the current value of the main motor 34 detected by the current sensor 35 and uses an inverter to control the rotation speed of the feeder motor 31.

[0079] The hydraulic sensor 39 is installed in the hydraulic mechanism 38 of the granulation apparatus 32 and detects the hydraulic pressure of the hydraulic mechanism 38, that is, the hydraulic pressure applied to the hydraulic mechanism 38 to press the die 36 and transmitted to the main motor 34. The control device 10 performs a predetermined calculation based on the hydraulic pressure detected by the hydraulic sensor 39 and uses it to control the rotational speed of the feeder motor 31.

[0080] The moisture sensor 44 is a sensor that detects the moisture content of pellets produced by the mixing device 24, and is installed on the conveyor 40 or the like downstream of the mixing device 24. Alternatively, the moisture sensor 44 may be installed on the heating device 42 or on the conveyor 40 or the like upstream of the heating device 42.

[0081] The pellet temperature sensor 47 is a sensor that detects the temperature of the pellets produced in the mixing device 24. The pellet temperature sensor 47 is installed, for example, on a conveyor 40 downstream of the mixing device 24. Alternatively, the pellet temperature sensor 47 may be installed on a cooling device 45 or on a conveyor 40 upstream of the cooling device 45.

[0082] As mentioned above, the pellet weighing sensor 49 is a sensor that measures the weight of pellets and is installed in the weighing and packaging device 48, etc. The weighing and packaging device 48 may also be equipped with other inspection sensors (not shown) and may be connected to the control device 10 for information communication.

[0083] Furthermore, the control device 10 is connected to various controllable devices that it controls. For example, the control device 10 is connected via wired or wireless means to enable information communication with raw material feeder motors 15a, 15b, 15c, 15d, foreign matter removal motor 17, foreign matter removal raw material feeder motor 19, crushing motor 21, crushed raw material feeder motor 23, stirring motor 25, mixed raw material feeder motor 28, feeder motor 31, main motor 34, hydraulic mechanism 38, conveyor motor 41, heater 43, blower 46, and packaging means (not shown) of a weighing and packaging device 48.

[0084] Furthermore, the control device 10 is connected via wired or wireless means to various raw material feeder motors, including spent mushroom substrate feeder motors 52, 56, and 60, a food by-product feeder motor 64, an oil cake feeder motor 66, and a pre-mixed raw material feeder motor 70, enabling them to communicate with each other.

[0085] The control device 10 performs predetermined calculations based on the temperature inside the pre-drying device 57 and other detected values ​​detected by the raw material temperature sensor 71 and other various sensors, and controls the dryer 58, spent mushroom substrate feeder motors 52, 56, 60, and other controlled equipment. Through this automatic control, the raw materials, including spent mushroom substrate, can be controlled with high precision to achieve a suitable moisture content.

[0086] Furthermore, for example, a raw material moisture sensor (not shown) for measuring the moisture content of the raw materials, including spent mushroom substrate, may be provided inside or in the piping downstream of the pre-mixing device 67. Based on the moisture content of the raw materials detected by the raw material moisture sensor, the control device 10 may perform predetermined calculations and control the dryer 58, spent mushroom substrate feeder motors 52, 56, 60, and other controlled equipment.

[0087] Furthermore, the control device 10 performs predetermined calculations based on various detected values ​​such as the current value of the main motor 34, the hydraulic pressure of the hydraulic mechanism 38, raw materials, and pellets detected by the aforementioned sensors, and controls the feeder motor 31 and other controlled devices. Through this highly efficient automatic control, pellets are manufactured stably, automatically, and with excellent productivity.

[0088] Furthermore, the control device 10 may be configured to perform control of each controlled device using artificial intelligence, i.e., machine learning by AI (Artificial Intelligence). That is, the control device 10 may store and learn the detected values ​​from various sensors and the properties of the generated pellets to recognize a control pattern, and then suitably operate and control the various controlled devices according to the learned control pattern. As a result, in pellet manufacturing, the control of the advanced production process, which was previously performed by skilled workers in conventional technology, can be automated using AI technology, enabling the stable and highly efficient production of stable, high-quality pellets.

[0089] Next, with reference to Figures 1 to 3, the pellet manufacturing method using the pellet manufacturing apparatus 1 will be described in detail. Figure 3 is a flowchart showing the pellet manufacturing process of pellet manufacturing apparatus 1. As shown in Figure 3, in the pellet manufacturing process, after the raw material input process P0 is performed, the raw material supply process P4, crushing process P5, mixing process P6, raw material feeding process P7, granulation process P8, drying process P9, and weighing and packaging process P10 are performed in sequence.

[0090] Furthermore, in the pellet manufacturing process, after the raw material input process P0 is performed, the crushing process P1 and the pre-drying process P2 may be performed sequentially before the raw material supply process P4 is executed. Alternatively, after the raw material input process P0 is performed, the pre-mixing process P3 may be performed before the raw material supply process P4 is executed.

[0091] Referring to Figures 1 to 3, first, in the raw material input process P0, the raw materials for the pellets are fed into the pellet manufacturing apparatus 1. Here, at least one of the raw materials fed in includes waste substrate used when cultivating mushrooms such as shiitake mushrooms, i.e., spent substrate.

[0092] Furthermore, at least one of the raw materials includes food by-products such as snack foods recovered during food manufacturing, which contain oils and fats, such as potato chips, corn fries, fried noodles, and fried rice crackers. Furthermore, the raw materials may include oilseed meal, for example, oilseed meal containing fats and oils that settle at the bottom of tanks or other containers during the processing of food by-products.

[0093] Furthermore, if food by-products containing oil and fat, such as the aforementioned potato chips, are used as raw materials, the oil and fat components of the raw materials may be separated from the solid components using a screw-press type solid-liquid separation device such as an expeller (not shown), and only the mainly solid components, from which the oil and fat have been removed, may be used as raw materials for manufacturing pellets.

[0094] Furthermore, the raw materials may include, for example, food waste generated from restaurants and other food products, school lunches, etc., or pre-fermented food waste. The raw materials may also include, for example, wood, wood chips, branches, bark, and other woody biomass. The raw materials may also include other waste materials that can be used as raw materials for fertilizer or fuel. These raw materials are separated by type and stored in corresponding raw material tanks 13.

[0095] As mentioned above, multiple raw material tanks 13 are provided so that different types of raw materials can be stored separately. For example, one raw material tank 13a is a spent mushroom substrate tank that stores raw materials including spent mushroom substrate, and another raw material tank 13b is a food by-product tank that stores raw materials including food by-products such as potato chips.

[0096] Furthermore, another raw material tank 13c is a wood tank that stores woody biomass raw materials such as wood chips. In addition, other raw material tanks 13d may store raw materials including other food by-products such as corn fries, other types of woody biomass, and other waste. By using multiple raw material tanks 13 capable of storing different types of raw materials in this way, it is possible to produce pellets of fertilizer, fuel, etc. with suitable properties by suitably mixing different types of raw materials.

[0097] More specifically, in the raw material input process P0, raw materials including spent mushroom substrate are fed into the spent mushroom substrate hopper 50 (raw material input process P0a). In addition, raw materials including food by-products are fed into the food by-product hopper 61, and raw materials including oilseed meal are fed into the oilseed meal hopper 62 (raw material input process P0b).

[0098] Furthermore, raw materials including wood chips are fed into the raw material tank 13c, which is a wood tank, via a hopper (not shown) (raw material input process P0c). Food by-products, woody biomass, and other raw materials may also be fed into the raw material tank 13d via a hopper (not shown) (raw material input process P0d).

[0099] In the raw material input process P0a, when raw materials including spent mushroom substrate are fed into the spent mushroom substrate hopper 50, the fed raw materials are sent to the crushing device 53 by the spent mushroom substrate feeder 51. The feeding of raw materials including spent mushroom substrate by the spent mushroom substrate feeder 51 is performed under the control of the control device 10.

[0100] Specifically, the control device 10 rotates the spent mushroom substrate feeder motor 52, which rotates the spent mushroom substrate feeder 51, at a predetermined rotational speed by controlling an inverter (not shown). As a result, the spent mushroom substrate feeder 51 can supply a predetermined amount of raw material to the crushing device 53 at a predetermined feeding speed.

[0101] Furthermore, the control of the spent mushroom substrate feeder motor 52 by the control device 10, as well as the control of the crusher motor 54, spent mushroom substrate feeder motors 56 and 60, the fan motor of the dryer 58, the food by-product feeder motor 64, the oil cake feeder motor 66, the pre-mixing stirring motor 68, and the pre-mixed raw material feeder motor 70, etc., which will be described later, may be performed by rotational speed control using an inverter or the like, or by ON / OFF control with a constant rotational speed.

[0102] When raw materials including spent mushroom substrate are supplied to the coarse crushing device 53, the coarse crushing process P1 is executed. In the coarse crushing process P1, the coarse crusher motor 54 is driven by control of the control device 10, and the spent mushroom substrate is roughly crushed by the rotating coarse crushing tool. This allows for efficient feeding of the raw materials including spent mushroom substrate and mixing with other raw materials in the subsequent stages.

[0103] After the coarse crushing process P1 is performed, the pre-drying process P2 is then carried out. Specifically, the raw materials, including the spent mushroom substrate roughly crushed in the coarse crushing device 53, are sent to the pre-drying device 57 by the spent mushroom substrate feeder 55. The spent mushroom substrate feeder 55 is rotated by the drive of the spent mushroom substrate feeder motor 56. In the pre-drying device 57, excess moisture contained in the spent mushroom substrate is evaporated and removed by heating or blowing air using the dryer 58. As a result, the raw materials, including the spent mushroom substrate, have a suitable moisture content, which enables the highly efficient production of high-quality pellets suitable for fuel and other applications.

[0104] Once the pre-drying process P2 is performed, the raw materials, including the spent mushroom substrate that has been prepared to a suitable moisture content, are sent to the raw material tank 13a, which is a spent mushroom substrate tank, by a spent mushroom substrate feeder 59 that is rotated by the power of a spent mushroom substrate feeder motor 60.

[0105] Furthermore, in the raw material input process P0b, raw materials including food by-products that have been input into the food by-product hopper 61 are sent to the pre-mixing device 67 by a food by-product feeder 63, which is rotationally driven by a food by-product feeder motor 64. Also, raw materials including oil cakes that have been input into the oil cake hopper 62 are sent to the pre-mixing device 67 by an oil cake feeder 65, which is rotationally driven by an oil cake feeder motor 66.

[0106] Then, the pre-mixing step P3 is performed in the pre-mixing device 67. Specifically, the raw materials containing food by-products and the raw materials containing oilseed meal are stirred and mixed by stirring blades driven by a pre-mixing stirring motor 68.

[0107] The raw materials, including food by-products and oilseed meal, which have been pre-mixed in the pre-mixing step P3, are fed by a pre-mixing raw material feeder 69, which is rotationally driven by a pre-mixing raw material feeder motor 70, and stored inside the raw material tank 13b, which is a food by-product tank.

[0108] Once the pellet raw materials are loaded into the raw material tank 13, the raw material supply process P4 is performed. In the raw material supply process P4, each raw material supplied to the raw material tank 13 is sent to the foreign matter removal device 16 by the raw material feeder 14. The feeding of raw materials by the raw material feeder 14 is performed under the control of the control device 10.

[0109] Specifically, the control device 10 rotates the raw material feeder motor 15, which rotates the raw material feeder 14, at a predetermined rotational speed by controlling an inverter (not shown). As a result, the raw material feeder 14 can supply a predetermined amount of each raw material to the foreign matter removal device 16 at a predetermined feeding speed.

[0110] Here, the raw material feeders 14a, 14b, 14c, and 14d, which supply different types of raw materials, are controlled so that the mixing ratio of the raw materials is a predetermined value. That is, the raw material feeder motors 15a, 15b, 15c, and 15d that drive each of the raw material feeders 14a, 14b, 14c, and 14d are inverter-controlled by the control device 10, causing the raw material feeders 14a, 14b, 14c, and 14d to rotate at a predetermined rotational speed. This allows for the automatic and optimal adjustment of the mixing ratio of the raw materials, enabling the efficient production of high-quality pellets.

[0111] For example, when pellets are manufactured as fuel, the raw materials should preferably include, in addition to wood chips, 5-15% by weight of food by-products and 20-35% by weight of spent mushroom substrate in the total amount fed into the pellet manufacturing apparatus 1 for one manufacturing process. More preferably, the raw materials fed into the pellet manufacturing apparatus 1 should include 5-15% by weight of food by-products, 20-35% by weight of spent mushroom substrate, 3-10% by weight of oil cake, and 40% or more by weight of wood chips.

[0112] By using this mixture of different raw materials, food by-products, spent mushroom substrate, and woody biomass can be effectively utilized to efficiently produce environmentally friendly, high-quality pellets with suitable hardness, high calorific value, high combustion rate, and excellent combustion performance. The control device 10 can suitably control the rotation speed of the raw material feeder motor 15 to adjust the supply of each raw material to achieve the aforementioned suitable mixing ratio.

[0113] Furthermore, the process of sending each raw material from the raw material tank 13 to the foreign matter removal device 16 in the raw material supply process P4 described above, or the process of sending each raw material to the mixing device 24 via the foreign matter removal device 16 and the crushing device 20 that perform the crushing process P5 described later, may be carried out in batch processing. In addition, these processes of sending different types of raw materials may be carried out continuously or simultaneously. Regardless of the control method, the control device 10 can automatically control and accurately send each raw material in the appropriate amount.

[0114] Next, the crushing process P5 is performed. Specifically, the raw material is coarsely crushed in the foreign matter removal device 16, and foreign matter such as iron is removed by a magnet, and then the raw material is crushed to a size suitable for pellet production in the crushing device 20.

[0115] The control device 10 controls the drive of the foreign matter removal motor 17 of the foreign matter removal device 16, the foreign matter removal raw material feeder 18 that sends raw materials from the foreign matter removal device 16 to the crushing device 20, the crushing motor 21 of the crushing device 20, and the crushing raw material feeder motor 23 that sends raw materials from the crushing device 20 to the mixing device 24.

[0116] At this time, the control device 10 performs predetermined calculations based on a predetermined control target value set in advance, the current value of the main motor 34 detected by the current sensor 35, the temperature of the raw material detected by the temperature sensor 26, and various detected values ​​detected by other sensors (not shown), and performs the above-mentioned controls.

[0117] Furthermore, the control of the foreign matter removal motor 17, foreign matter removal raw material feeder 18, crushing motor 21, and crushing raw material feeder motor 23 by the control device 10 may be done solely by ON / OFF control with a constant rotation speed.

[0118] In the mixing process P6, the raw materials, which have had foreign matter removed and been crushed in the crushing process P5, are mixed in the mixing device 24. The raw materials mixed in the mixing device 24 are then transported to the intermediate hopper 29 by the mixed raw material feeder 27 and temporarily stored in the intermediate hopper 29.

[0119] The control device 10 controls the drive of the stirring motor 25 and the mixed raw material feeder motor 28 based on the current value of the main motor 34 detected by the current sensor 35, the temperature of the raw material detected by the temperature sensor 26, etc. Note that the control of the stirring motor 25 and the mixed raw material feeder motor 28 may be done by ON / OFF control with a constant frequency only.

[0120] The raw material feeding process P7 is the process of sending the pellet raw materials, which were mixed in the mixing device 24 and stored in the intermediate hopper 29 in the mixing process P6, to the granulator 32. Specifically, the pellet raw materials are sent to the granulator 32 by the feeder 30 and fed onto the top of the die 36.

[0121] The control device 10 performs a predetermined calculation based on a preset control target value as well as the current value of the main motor 34 detected by the current sensor 35, and controls the rotation speed of the feeder motor 31 using an inverter.

[0122] Specifically, the control device 10 uses the current value of the main motor 34 as a control variable to perform multi-stage inverter control or proportional control on the feeder motor 31 to be controlled. This allows for optimal automatic adjustment of the pressure applied to the raw material by the compression roller 33, enabling the stable and efficient production of pellets with desired properties using food by-products and the like as raw materials. Therefore, the productivity of pellets produced from raw materials containing food by-products can be increased.

[0123] Furthermore, the control device 10 may perform calculations based on the current value of the main motor 34 detected by the current sensor 35, as well as the hydraulic pressure of the hydraulic mechanism 38 detected by the hydraulic sensor 39, and control the rotation speed of the feeder motor 31 using an inverter. This allows for even more optimal automatic control of the raw material feed rate, enabling the efficient production of high-quality pellets.

[0124] Specifically, the control device 10 may primarily control the feeder motor 31 based on the current value of the main motor 34 detected by the current sensor 35, and may also reduce the rotational speed of the feeder motor 31 if the hydraulic pressure of the hydraulic mechanism 38 detected by the hydraulic sensor 39 exceeds a predetermined value. By such control, the pressing of the raw material can be maintained in a suitable state, and pellets with suitable properties can be produced stably.

[0125] The control device 10 may inverter-control the rotation speed of the feeder motor 31 based on the temperature of the pellets that are produced and transported by the conveyor 40, as detected by the pellet temperature sensor 47. That is, the control device 10 may perform a predetermined calculation based on the current value of the main motor 34 detected by the current sensor 35 and the temperature of the pellets detected by the pellet temperature sensor 47, and inverter-control the rotation speed of the feeder motor 31 that sends the raw materials to the granulator 32. By such control, the pellets in the granulator 32 can be formed in a suitable state, and pellets with suitable properties can be stably produced.

[0126] Next, in the granulation process P8, pellets are formed from the raw material sent to the granulator 32 in the raw material feeding process P7. Specifically, the raw material is pressed by the rolling of the compression roller 33 and forced into the through-hole 37 of the die 36. As the raw material passes through the through-hole 37, pellets are generated, and the generated pellets are pushed out from the through-hole 37.

[0127] In the granulation process P8, the control device 10 drives and controls the main motor 34. In this embodiment, the control device 10 controls the rotation speed of the feeder motor 31 to produce pellets with desired properties. Therefore, the control of the main motor 34 by the control device 10 may be limited to ON / OFF control with a constant rotation speed.

[0128] Furthermore, in the granulation process P8, a pressing force is applied by the hydraulic mechanism 38 to press the die 36 against the compression roller 33. The pressing force applied by the hydraulic mechanism 38 may be controlled by the control device 10 based on the hydraulic pressure value detected by the hydraulic sensor 39.

[0129] After pellets are produced in the granulation process P8, a drying process P9 is carried out. The pellets produced in the granulator 32 are transported by the conveyor 40 to the weighing and packaging device 48. The pellets are dried by the heating device 42 and cooling device 45 installed along this transport path.

[0130] Specifically, the pellets are heated either directly by the heater 43 of the heating device 42 or by air blown by a blower (not shown). This evaporates excess moisture from the pellets, drying them out. The dried pellets are then cooled to a suitable temperature for packaging by air supplied by the blower 46 of the cooling device 45.

[0131] In the drying process P9, the conveying speed of the conveyor motor 41, the heating amount of the heater 43, and the airflow amount of the blower 46 are controlled by the control device 10. Specifically, the control device 10 may perform predetermined calculations based on the moisture content of the pellets detected by the moisture sensor 44 and the temperature of the pellets detected by the pellet temperature sensor 47, and control the output of the conveyor motor 41, heater 43, and blower 46. This allows the pellets formed in the granulator 32 to be dried and the moisture content of the pellets to be adjusted to a suitable degree automatically. Therefore, pellets with suitable properties can be manufactured stably and efficiently through automatic control.

[0132] The weighing and packaging process P10 is a process that involves weighing, quality inspection, and automatic packaging of the manufactured pellets. The weighing and packaging process P10 is performed by the weighing and packaging device 48 based on control by the control device 10.

[0133] Specifically, after the quality of the pellets is inspected using an inspection device such as an image recognition inspection device (not shown), the pellets are weighed by a pellet weighing sensor 49, and a predetermined amount of pellets is placed in a packaging container and packaged. This completes the pellet product for use as fuel or fertilizer. Note that each of the processes such as pellet transport, inspection, and packaging may be performed by an industrial robot (not shown) controlled by a control device 10.

[0134] As described above, the pellet manufacturing apparatus 1 according to this embodiment can stably and efficiently produce high-quality pellets through automatic control by the control device 10, and can significantly improve the productivity of pellets, which previously required many adjustments in the manufacturing process. Furthermore, it is possible to produce environmentally friendly, high-quality pellets by effectively reusing food by-products and spent mushroom substrate, which were previously difficult to reuse.

[0135] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0136] 1: Pellet manufacturing equipment 10: Control device 11: Input section 12:Display section 13, 13a, 13b, 13c, 13d: Raw material tanks 14, 14a, 14b, 14c, 14d: Raw material feeder 15, 15a, 15b, 15c, 15d: Raw material feeder motor 16: Foreign matter removal device 17: Foreign object removal motor 18: Foreign matter removal raw material feeder 19: Foreign object removal raw material feeder motor 20: Grinding device 21: Grinding motor 22: Crushed raw material feeder 23: Grinding material feeder motor 24: Mixing device 25: Stirring motor 26: Temperature sensor 27: Mixed raw material feeder 28: Mixed raw material feeder motor 29: Intermediate hopper 30: Feeder 31: Feeder motor 32: Granulation equipment 33: Compression roller 34: Main motor 35: Current Sensor 36: Dice 37: Through hole 38: Hydraulic mechanism 39: Hydraulic sensor 40: Conveyor 41: Conveyor motor 42: Heating device 43: Heater 44: Moisture sensor 45: Cooling device 46: Blower 47: Pellet temperature sensor 48:Measuring and packaging equipment 49: Pellet weighing sensor 50: Spent mushroom substrate hopper 51: Spent mushroom substrate feeder 52: Spent Mushroom Substrate Feeder Motor 53: Crushing device 54: Crusher motor 55: Spent mushroom substrate feeder 56: Spent mushroom substrate feeder motor 57: Pre-drying device 58: Dryer 59: Spent mushroom substrate feeder 60: Spent mushroom substrate feeder motor 61: Food by-product hoppers 62: Oilseed Hoppers 63: Food By-product Feeder 64: Food By-product Feeder Motor 65: Oilseed meal feeder 66: Oil meal feeder motor 67: Pre-mixing device 68: Pre-mixing stirring motor 69: Pre-mixing raw material feeder 70: Pre-mixing raw material feeder motor 71: Raw material temperature sensor P0, P0a, P0b, P0c, P0d: Raw material input process P1: Crushing process P2: Pre-drying process P3: Pre-mixing process P4: Raw material supply process P5: Grinding process P6:Mixing process P7: Raw material feeding process P8: Granulation process P9:Drying process P10: Weighing and packaging process

Claims

1. Multiple raw material tanks, each storing different types of raw materials separately, A mixing device that mixes the raw materials stored in the raw material tank to produce raw materials, The apparatus comprises a granulation device that presses the raw materials produced by the mixing device to form pellets, The raw material tank comprises a food by-product tank in which the raw materials, including food by-products, are stored, and a spent mushroom substrate tank in which the raw materials, including spent mushroom substrate, are stored. A pellet manufacturing apparatus characterized by producing pellets from raw materials including at least the food by-products and the spent mushroom substrate.

2. The pellet manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that a coarse crushing device is provided upstream of the spent mushroom substrate tank for coarsely crushing the spent mushroom substrate sent to the spent mushroom substrate tank.

3. The pellet manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that a pre-drying device is provided upstream of the spent mushroom substrate tank for heating the spent mushroom substrate sent to the spent mushroom substrate tank to evaporate the moisture contained in the spent mushroom substrate.

4. The pellet manufacturing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the raw materials include oil cake.

5. The pellet manufacturing apparatus according to claim 4, characterized in that a pre-mixing device for mixing the oil cake with the food by-products sent to the food by-products tank is provided upstream of the food by-products tank.

6. A mixing process in which multiple types of raw materials are combined, The system comprises a granulation step in which the raw materials mixed and produced in the mixing step are pressed to form pellets, A method for producing pellets, characterized in that at least food by-products and spent mushroom substrate are used as the raw materials.

7. The pellet manufacturing method according to claim 6, characterized in that, before the mixing step is performed, a coarse crushing step is performed in which the spent mushroom substrate is roughly crushed, and a pre-drying step is performed in which the spent mushroom substrate crushed in the coarse crushing step is heated to evaporate the moisture contained in the spent mushroom substrate.

8. The pellet manufacturing method according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that oil cake is used as the raw material.

9. The pellet manufacturing method according to claim 8, characterized in that a pre-mixing step of mixing the food by-product and the oil cake is performed before the mixing step described above is carried out.

10. The raw materials fed into the pellet manufacturing apparatus consist of 5 to 15% by weight of the food by-product, 20 to 35% by weight of the spent mushroom substrate, 3 to 10% by weight of the oil cake, and 40% or more by weight of wood chips. The pellet manufacturing method according to claim 9, characterized in that the pellet is fuel.

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