Conveying device

Abstract

The present invention provides a fuel conveying device that includes biomass pellets, which can prevent damage to the casing during the dewatering process and prevent dust from biomass pellets, etc., from scattering outside the casing during the fuel conveying process. [Solution] The conveying device 40 is a conveying device 40 for conveying fuel containing biomass pellets, and comprises a second belt conveyor 42 for conveying fuel, having a mounting surface 42a on which the fuel is placed, and a casing 50 provided above the second belt conveyor 42 and covering the mounting surface 42a. The second belt conveyor 42 is inclined such that the downstream side in the conveying direction D of the biomass pellets is lower than the upstream side, and the casing 50 is provided at the downstream end in the conveying direction D and has a brush 550 that discharges water that has fallen from the upper first belt conveyor 41 onto the second belt conveyor 42 to the outside and retains dust generated from the fuel inside the casing 50.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a conveying device for conveying fuel containing biomass pellets.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, for the purpose of reducing carbon dioxide emissions, biomass power generation, which generates electricity by using biomass pellets or a mixture of biomass pellets and coal as fuel, has become widespread (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In biomass power generation, biomass pellets and the like are conveyed from a fuel receiving facility to a bunker by a conveying device, and further conveyed from the bunker to a boiler by the conveying device.

[0003] One of the conveying devices installed between the fuel receiving facility and the bunker is composed of an upper belt conveyor and a lower belt conveyor disposed below it. The fuel such as biomass pellets conveyed by the upper belt conveyor falls onto the lower belt conveyor through a chute portion and is conveyed toward the bunker by the lower belt conveyor. The lower belt conveyor is provided with a casing for preventing the biomass pellets and the like falling from the upper belt conveyor from spilling outside from the upper surface of the lower belt conveyor.

[0004] By the way, water such as rainwater that reaches the upper belt conveyor through a coal loader installed at the upper part (upstream side) of the upper belt conveyor may accumulate on the upper belt conveyor. Therefore, before starting the conveyance of fuel such as biomass pellets, a water drainage process for removing the water accumulated on the upper belt conveyor is carried out. By the water drainage process, the water accumulated on the upper belt conveyor falls onto the lower belt conveyor and is discharged to the outside through the gap between the downstream end portion of the casing in the conveyance direction and the lower belt conveyor.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2004-347241 [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0006] In the water draining process, one might consider setting a large gap between the downstream end of the casing in the transport direction and the lower belt conveyor in order to efficiently discharge water. However, in this case, there was a problem that a large amount of dust from biomass pellets generated inside the casing due to fuel dropping, etc., would scatter to the outside. On the other hand, if the gap between the downstream end of the casing in the transport direction and the lower belt conveyor was set to the minimum, there was no escape route for the water that fell from the upper belt conveyor to the lower belt conveyor, and there was a problem that the casing would be damaged by the impact and water pressure of that water.

[0007] Therefore, the present invention aims to provide a fuel conveying device containing biomass pellets that can prevent damage to the casing during the dewatering process while preventing dust such as biomass pellets from scattering outside the casing during the fuel conveying process, in order to solve the above problems. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The conveying device according to the present invention is A conveying device for transporting fuel containing biomass pellets, A belt conveyor having a mounting surface on which the fuel is placed, and transporting the fuel, The belt conveyor is provided above the aforementioned belt conveyor and comprises a casing that covers the aforementioned surface, The belt conveyor is inclined such that the downstream side in the direction of transporting the biomass pellets is lower than the upstream side. The casing is provided at the downstream end in the conveying direction and has a brush that discharges water flowing into the belt conveyor from other belt conveyors to the outside, and also retains dust generated from the fuel inside the casing. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present invention, since a brush is provided at the downstream end of the casing in the conveying direction, water flowing in from other belt conveyors can be efficiently discharged, and dust generated from the fuel can be prevented from scattering to the outside. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] This figure shows an example of a schematic configuration of the biomass power generation system according to this embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a perspective view showing an example of the configuration of the conveying device according to this embodiment. [Figure 3] This is a side view showing an example of the configuration of the transport device according to this embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0011] Preferred embodiments of this disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the attached drawings. Note that the drawings referenced in the following description include schematic drawings, and there may be differences in the dimensional relationships and proportions between the drawings.

[0012] [Example of a schematic configuration of Biomass Power Generation System 1] Figure 1 shows an example of the schematic configuration of the biomass power generation system 1 according to this embodiment. The biomass power generation system 1 comprises a fuel receiving facility 10, a building 20, and a bunker 30. Although not shown in Figure 1, the biomass power generation system 1 also includes equipment such as a boiler, turbine, and generator. In this embodiment, the direction in which fuel such as biomass pellets is transported from the fuel receiving facility 10 toward the bunker 30 is defined as the transport direction D. As fuel, for example, biomass pellets or a mixture of coal and biomass pellets can be used.

[0013] The fuel receiving facility 10 stores, for example, biomass pellets. Biomass pellets are a type of biomass fuel and are formed, for example, into a cylindrical shape. Renewable organic resources of biological origin are used as materials for biomass pellets. Specifically, materials for biomass pellets include thinned wood, waste wood, driftwood, grass, agricultural and livestock waste, and sewage sludge. Biomass fuel is considered carbon neutral because it does not emit carbon dioxide, which is a greenhouse gas, as the organisms used as raw materials absorb carbon dioxide during their growth process. Although Figure 1 illustrates one fuel receiving facility 10 where biomass pellets are stored, a coal storage facility for coal may also be provided.

[0014] A belt conveyor 70 is installed between the fuel receiving facility 10 and the building 20. The belt conveyor 70 transports, for example, biomass pellets from the fuel receiving facility 10 to the building 20. The belt conveyor 70 may also be used to transport coal. In this case, the biomass pellets and coal are transported separately. Alternatively, a separate belt conveyor may be installed for transporting coal. Note that the number of belt conveyors 70, the transport devices 40 (described later), and the belt conveyor 72 is not limited to the number shown in Figure 1.

[0015] Building 20 is equipped with a conveying device 40 for transporting fuel such as biomass pellets. The conveying device 40 comprises a first belt conveyor 41, a second belt conveyor 42 and a casing 50, and a chute section 43. The chute section 43 is a cylindrical pipe extending vertically and is installed between the first belt conveyor 41 and the second belt conveyor 42. The upper end of the chute section 43 is located below the first belt conveyor 41 and receives the fuel falling from the first belt conveyor 41. The lower end of the chute section 43 is connected to the top surface of the casing 50 and communicates with the inside of the casing 50.

[0016] The second belt conveyor 42 is inclined such that the downstream side in the conveying direction D is lower than the upstream side. This is to efficiently discharge water that falls onto the mounting surface 42a of the second belt conveyor 42 during the water draining process, which will be described later. The casing 50 is installed directly below the chute section 43 and is provided to cover the mounting surface 42a on the second belt conveyor 42. This prevents fuel such as biomass pellets that have fallen from the first belt conveyor 41 from spilling outwards from the mounting surface 42a on the second belt conveyor 42. The casing 50 may also be installed on other belt conveyors such as the first belt conveyor 41 mentioned above. A detailed explanation of the casing 50 will be given later.

[0017] A belt conveyor 72 is installed between building 20 and bunker 30. The belt conveyor 72 transports fuel such as biomass pellets, which have been taken over from the second belt conveyor 42 of building 20, to bunker 30. Bunker 30 temporarily stores the fuel such as biomass pellets transported by the second belt conveyor 42. The fuel such as biomass pellets transported from bunker 30 is transported by a belt conveyor to a boiler (not shown). The boiler generates high-temperature, high-pressure steam by heating water with the heat obtained from burning fuel such as biomass pellets. The steam generated in the boiler is converted into rotational energy by a turbine. The generator generates electricity based on the rotational energy generated by the turbine.

[0018] [Example configuration of the conveying device 40] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an example of the configuration of the transport device 40 according to the present embodiment, and FIG. 3 is a side view showing an example of the configuration of the transport device 40 according to the present embodiment. The casing 50 constituting the transport device 40 is installed above the second belt conveyor 42. In this case, the casing 50 may be fixed to a support member (not shown) or attached to the chute portion 43 described above. Further, the casing 50 is configured in an elongated box shape with an open bottom. More specifically, the casing 50 includes a top surface portion 500 extending in the transport direction D, a first side wall portion 510 and a second side wall portion 520 bent downward from both ends in the width direction of the top surface portion 500, and a front wall portion 530 bent downward from the upstream end portion of the top surface portion 500 in the transport direction D. Furthermore, the casing 50 includes a brush attachment portion 540 attached to the downstream end portion of the top surface portion 500 in the transport direction D, and a brush 550 attached to the brush attachment portion 540. The width direction of the casing 50 orthogonal to the transport direction D is formed slightly shorter than the length in the width direction of the second belt conveyor 42. The first side wall portion 510 and the second side wall portion 520 of the casing 50 are provided with a predetermined gap S with respect to the placement surface 42a of the second belt conveyor 42 as shown in FIG. 3. The gap S is set to a minimum, for example, so that dust such as biomass pellets generated inside the casing 50 does not scatter to the outside.

[0019] The brush 550 is formed of a material, rigidity, density, etc. that can discharge the water that has fallen from the first belt conveyor 41 and flowed in to the outside and prevent dust such as biomass pellets from scattering outside the casing 50. For the material of the brush 550, for example, synthetic fiber, metallic, vegetable or animal material may be used, or a combination of two or more of these materials may be used. Further, the brush 550 is attached to the brush attachment portion 540 so as to close an opening partitioned by the top surface portion 500, the first side wall portion 510, and the second side wall portion 520. At this time, the lower end side of the brush 550 is provided so as to be able to contact the placement surface 42a of the second belt conveyor 42 as shown in FIG. 3. The brush 550 may be detachably attached to the brush attachment portion 540 by a fastening member such as a screw. Thereby, even when the brush 550 is deteriorated or damaged over time, the brush 550 can be easily replaced with respect to the casing 50. Note that the brush 550 may be configured to be directly attached to the top surface portion 500 of the casing 50.

[0020] On the outer peripheral portion of the downstream end portion in the conveyance direction D of the second belt conveyor 42, a water storage portion 60 for storing the water discharged from the brush 550 etc. of the casing 50 is installed. One end of a drain pipe 62 is connected to the lower portion of the water storage portion 60. The other end of the drain pipe 62 extends, for example, outdoors or to a drain etc. Thereby, the water that has flowed down from the placement surface 42a of the second belt conveyor 42 is stored by the water storage portion 60, and the stored water can be discharged to the outside from the drain pipe 62.

[0021] [Flow during water drainage treatment and fuel conveyance treatment] Next, the dewatering process and fuel transport process according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 1 and 2. Before the start of the fuel transport process, such as biomass pellets, a dewatering process is performed to remove water accumulated on the first belt conveyor 41. The dewatering process is started, for example, in the morning. This is because water may accumulate on the first belt conveyor 41 while the transport device 40 is stopped, such as at night. The water on the first belt conveyor 41 is, for example, rainwater that has reached the first belt conveyor 41 via a coal hoisting machine installed on the upper (upstream) side of the first belt conveyor 41.

[0022] In the water draining process, the first belt conveyor 41 is driven to stop the second belt conveyor 42. When the first belt conveyor 41 is driven, the water accumulated on the first belt conveyor 41 moves to the chute section 43 and falls onto the second belt conveyor 42 via the chute section 43. The water that falls onto the mounting surface 42a of the second belt conveyor 42 flows downstream in the conveying direction D due to the inclination of the second belt conveyor 42 and passes through the brush 550 attached to the casing 50. The water that has passed through the brush 550 flows down from the downstream end of the second belt conveyor 42 in the conveying direction D into the water storage section 60. The water that has flowed into the water storage section 60 is discharged to the outside via the drainage pipe 62.

[0023] Once the dewatering process is complete, the fuel transport process for receiving biomass pellets and other fuels begins. The biomass pellets and other fuels are transported from the fuel receiving facility 10 to the building 20 by a belt conveyor 70. Inside the building 20, the biomass pellets and other fuels are transported by a first belt conveyor 41 and fall onto the second belt conveyor 42 via a chute 43. At this time, the fallen biomass pellets and other fuels are held in place by a casing 50. In addition, dust from the biomass pellets and other fuels generated during the fall is caught or adsorbed by the bristles of the brush 550, preventing it from moving to the outside and keeping it inside the casing 50. The biomass pellets and other fuels that have fallen from the first belt conveyor 41 are transported towards the bunker 30 by the second belt conveyor 42.

[0024] [Effects of the Embodiment] In this embodiment, the gap S between the second belt conveyor 42 and the casing 50 is set to a minimum in order to prevent dust such as biomass pellets generated when falling from the first belt conveyor 41 to the second belt conveyor 42 from scattering outside the casing 50. In conventional technology, during the dewatering process, the plate-shaped rear wall portion at the downstream end of the casing 50 in the conveying direction D may be damaged due to the impact and water pressure of water falling from the first belt conveyor 41 to the second belt conveyor 42. In contrast, according to this embodiment, the downstream end of the casing 50 in the conveying direction D is made of a brush 550, so that water flowing into the second belt conveyor 42 can be efficiently discharged to the outside, and dust can be prevented from scattering outside. As a result, conventionally, it was necessary to remove the casing 50 to perform the dewatering process in order to prevent damage to the casing 50, but according to this embodiment, the dewatering process can be performed without removing the casing 50. As a result, the burden on workers during the water draining process can be reduced.

[0025] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the gap between the brush 550 and the second belt conveyor 42 is eliminated by bringing the brush 550 into contact with the mounting surface 42a on the second belt conveyor 42. In addition, the brush 550 is constructed of a material and density that prevents dust from scattering outside the casing 50. As a result, it is possible to reliably prevent dust from scattering outside the casing 50 from the downstream end in the conveying direction D of the casing 50. Also, since the gap S between the first side wall portion 510 and the second side wall portion 520 of the casing 50 and the mounting surface 42a of the second belt conveyor 42 is configured to be minimal, it is also possible to prevent dust from scattering outside from the side of the casing 50. As a result, the scattering of dust inside the building 20 in which the conveying device 40 is installed can be reduced, and malfunctions and failures caused by dust adhering to electrical equipment and mechanical equipment can be prevented.

[0026] Although preferred embodiments of this disclosure have been described in detail above with reference to the attached drawings, the technical scope of this disclosure is not limited to these examples. Furthermore, various modifications and improvements naturally fall within the technical scope of this disclosure, within the scope of the technical ideas described in the claims for those skilled in the art. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0027] 1. Biomass power generation system 40 Conveying device 41. First belt conveyor (other belt conveyors) 42. Second Belt Conveyor (Belt Conveyor) 42a Mounting surface 50 Casing 500 Top section 510 First side wall section 520 Second side wall section 550 brushes D Conveying direction

Claims

1. A conveying device for transporting fuel containing biomass pellets, A belt conveyor having a mounting surface on which the fuel is placed, and transporting the fuel, The belt conveyor is provided above the aforementioned belt conveyor and comprises a casing that covers the aforementioned surface, The belt conveyor is inclined such that the downstream side in the direction of transporting the biomass pellets is lower than the upstream side. The casing is provided at the downstream end in the conveying direction and has a brush that discharges water flowing into the belt conveyor from other belt conveyors to the outside and retains dust generated from the fuel inside the casing. Conveying device.

2. The brush is provided so as to be able to contact the aforementioned surface of the belt conveyor. The conveying device according to claim 1.

3. The casing has a top surface and a first side wall and a second side wall provided at both ends of the top surface in the width direction. The brush is provided to close the opening that is partitioned by the top surface, the first side wall, and the second side wall. The conveying device according to claim 1.

4. The first and second side walls of the casing are provided with a predetermined gap between them and the surface on which the belt conveyor is mounted. The conveying device according to claim 3.

5. Above the aforementioned belt conveyor, another belt conveyor is provided. The belt conveyor transports the fuel that has fallen from the other belt conveyor through the casing onto the aforementioned surface. The casing holds the fallen fuel so that it does not spill off the belt conveyor. The conveying device according to claim 1.

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