Organic compound decomposition device

Abstract

To provide an organic compound decomposition device that can efficiently decompose organic compounds while reducing the cost, energy consumption, and CO2 emissions associated with the decomposition process. [Solution] The organic compound decomposition apparatus S according to the present invention is characterized by comprising: a radiation source 1 that generates radiation; a radiolysis vessel 2 that uses radiation from the radiation source 1 to decompose an organic compound to be processed and obtain decomposition products with reduced molecular weight; a heat recovery unit 41 that recovers the heat generated from the radiation source 1; and a heat supply unit 42 that supplies the recovered generated heat to the radiolysis vessel 2 or a processing vessel 31 that heats and processes one or more of the organic compound and the decomposition products.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an apparatus for decomposing organic compounds using radiation.

Background Art

[0002] For measures against global warming and reduction of waste, the importance of recycling resources and renewable energy is increasing. Among them, it is expected to produce valuable substances such as energy sources such as methane and alcohol or biomass plastic raw materials such as polylactic acid from biomass containing organic compounds such as saccharides, proteins, and lipids (for example, wood, non-edible parts of agricultural crops, sewage sludge, food waste, etc.).

[0003] On the other hand, there are also problems in the resource utilization of biomass. For example, in the case of lignocellulosic biomass, there is a process of decomposing (depolymerizing) cellulose in lignocellulosic biomass to glucose, which is a monosaccharide, by an enzyme or the like, and further converting it to alcohol or polylactic acid by fermentation or the like. However, cellulose in wood has a structure firmly bound to hemicellulose and lignin, and enzymes do not penetrate. Therefore, in the above process, it is first necessary to break their structures by treatment at high temperature and high pressure. Thus, in the resource utilization from biomass, it is a problem that a great deal of energy and cost are required for the decomposition of hardly decomposable components.

[0004] In addition, for organic compounds such as waste plastics, dioxins, PCBs, and organic fluorine compounds, which are hardly decomposable and remain in the environment for a long time, it is important to appropriately decompose them due to their effects on humans and other organisms. However, similar to biomass resource utilization, it is a problem that a great deal of energy and cost are required.

[0005] On the other hand, radiation is a substance that can be expected to decompose without an external energy supply. In addition to nuclear power generation, radiation is used for the decomposition and synthesis of substances in a wide range of fields, including medicine, industry, agriculture, and the environment, such as radiation diagnosis, sterilization of medical equipment, improvement of radial tire characteristics, and improvement of crop varieties.

[0006] Given the above background, methods using radiation, such as those described in Patent Documents 1 and 2, have been proposed to reduce the cost and energy required for the decomposition of organic compounds.

[0007] Specifically, Patent Document 1 describes a method for preparing biomass into an aqueous solution, which is as follows: The method involves crushing, mixing, stirring, and homogenizing a carbohydrate-based, sugar-based, and / or cellulose-based water-insoluble biomass raw material, and dissolving it in an aqueous solution to produce a biomass preparation liquid in which the area ratio of the heterophase interface consisting of gas / liquid / solid phases is increased. Next, the method involves irradiating the biomass preparation liquid with gamma rays to generate atomic oxygen through a reaction caused by slow electron excitation at the heterophase interface due to gamma ray irradiation. Then, the method involves directly reacting the generated atomic oxygen with the biomass in the biomass preparation liquid to produce a saccharified biomass starch saccharification treatment liquid.

[0008] Furthermore, Patent Document 2 describes a method for decomposing dioxins or polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) as follows: The method involves decomposing dioxins or polychlorinated biphenyls by reacting a material containing dioxins or polychlorinated biphenyls with sulfur in hot water or steam. Patent Document 2 also describes irradiating the reaction with gamma rays. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0009] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2017-70243 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2006-333986 [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0010] The invention described in Patent Document 1 involves irradiating biomass with gamma rays from a radiation source such as a vitrified body, thereby decomposing biomass without external energy supply. While biomass can be decomposed using gamma rays alone, this method may not adequately meet the demand for higher efficiency.

[0011] The invention described in Patent Document 2 promotes the decomposition of organic compounds such as dioxins and polychlorinated biphenyls by using radiation (gamma rays) in combination with thermal decomposition. However, the heat supply for promoting decomposition relies on an additional heat source such as waste heat from incineration, resulting in energy consumption and CO2 emissions from incineration.

[0012] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances. The object of the present invention is to provide an organic compound decomposition apparatus that can efficiently decompose organic compounds and reduce the cost, energy consumption, and CO2 emissions associated with the decomposition process. [Means for solving the problem]

[0013] The organic compound decomposition apparatus according to the present invention, which solves the aforementioned problems, is characterized by comprising: a radiation source that generates radiation; a radiolysis vessel that uses radiation from the radiation source to decompose an organic compound to be processed and obtain decomposition products with reduced molecular weight; a heat recovery unit that recovers heat generated from the radiation source; and a heat supply unit that supplies the recovered generated heat to the radiolysis vessel or a processing vessel that heats and processes one or more of the organic compound and the decomposition products. [Effects of the Invention]

[0014] According to the present invention, organic compounds can be efficiently decomposed, and the costs, energy consumption, and CO2 emissions associated with the decomposition process can be reduced. Problems, configurations, and effects other than those described above will be clarified by the following description of the embodiments. Further features related to the present invention will become apparent from the description in this specification and the accompanying drawings.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0015] [Figure 1] It is a schematic configuration diagram for explaining the configuration of the organic compound decomposition apparatus S according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] It is a schematic explanatory diagram for explaining an arrangement example when there are a plurality of radiation sources 1, radiation decomposition vessels 2, and heat recovery / supply devices 4 respectively. [Figure 3] It is a schematic configuration diagram for explaining the configuration of the organic compound decomposition apparatus S according to Modification 1 of the first embodiment. [Figure 4] It is a cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV of FIG. 3. [Figure 5] It is a schematic configuration diagram for explaining the configuration of the organic compound decomposition apparatus S according to Modification 2 of the first embodiment. [Figure 6] It is a schematic configuration diagram for explaining the configuration of the organic compound decomposition apparatus S according to the second embodiment. ` [Figure 7] It is a schematic configuration diagram for explaining the configuration of the organic compound decomposition apparatus S according to a modification of the second embodiment.

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0016] Hereinafter, an organic compound decomposition apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described while appropriately referring to the drawings. For configurations common to the following description and drawings, the same reference numerals may be used and duplicate explanations may be omitted. Further, the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments. Furthermore, the description in this specification is merely a typical example and does not limit the scope of the claims or application examples in any sense.

[0017] <The First Embodiment> FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram for explaining the configuration of the organic compound decomposition apparatus S according to the first embodiment. In this embodiment, an apparatus for converting cellulose in lignocellulose into glucose as an organic compound will be exemplified and described.

[0018] (Configuration of the organic compound decomposition apparatus) As shown in FIG. 1, the organic compound decomposition apparatus S includes a radiation source 1, a radiation decomposition container 2, and a heat recovery / supply device 4. A part of the radiation source 1, the radiation decomposition container 2, and the heat recovery / supply device 4 is installed within the radiation control area 5. Briefly explaining the functions of these components, they are as follows.

[0019] (Radiation source) The radiation source 1 generates radiation, specifically gamma rays. In this embodiment, the radiation source 1 can be used without particular limitation as long as it emits gamma rays as radiation, such as spent nuclear fuel, a vitrified body containing fission products extracted from spent nuclear fuel, a cobalt-60 source, etc. Further, heat is generated due to nuclide decay in the above radiation source 1. For example, in the case of a cobalt-60 source, the surface temperature is about 200°C, and in the case of a vitrified body, it may be 200°C or higher. In this embodiment, the radiation energy propagated from the radiation source 1 to the radiation decomposition container 2 is not significantly reduced, and the radiation source 1 is utilized as a heat source. Therefore, the heat recovery unit 41 of the heat recovery / supply device 4 is installed near the surface of the radiation source 1 that does not face the radiation decomposition container 2.

[0020] (Radiation decomposition container) The radiation decomposition container 2 uses radiation such as gamma rays from the radiation source 1 to decompose the organic compound, which is the object to be processed, and obtain a decomposed product with a lower molecular weight. When the organic compound, which is the object to be processed, is lignocellulose, the radiation decomposition container 2, for example, performs low-molecular-weighting of polysaccharides (e.g., cellulose and hemicellulose), which are the main components, and destruction of the strong structure formed by cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin. In order to maximize the propagation of the energy of the radiation and heat from the radiation source 1, it is preferable to install the radiation decomposition container 2 as close as possible to the radiation source 1.

[0021] (Heat recovery and supply equipment) The heat recovery and supply device 4 includes a heat recovery unit 41 that recovers the heat generated from the radiation source 1. The heat recovery and supply device 4 also includes a heat supply unit 42 that supplies the recovered heat to the aforementioned radiolysis vessel 2 or processing vessel 31. The detailed configuration of the heat recovery and supply device 4 and the method of heat recovery and heat supply will be described later.

[0022] (Processing container) The aforementioned processing vessel 31 processes one or more of the organic compound and its decomposition products by heating. Examples of such processing vessels 31 include a drying vessel (not shown) which is placed before the radiolysis vessel 2 and dries the organic compound. Another example of such processing vessels 31 is an enzymatic saccharification vessel 3 which is placed after the radiolysis vessel 2 and saccharifies the decomposition products transferred from the radiolysis vessel 2 by acting enzymes on them. Another example of such processing vessels 31 is a fermentation vessel (not shown) which is placed after the radiolysis vessel 2 or the enzymatic saccharification vessel 3 and ferments the decomposition products using alcoholic fermentation, methane fermentation, lactic acid fermentation, etc. The heat recovery and supply device 4 can supply the generated heat recovered from the radiation source 1 to one or more processing containers 31 selected from these, or, as described above, to the radiolysis container 2.

[0023] (Enzyme saccharification container) As a specific example of the processing container 31, the enzyme saccharification container 3 described above will be used for explanation. The enzyme saccharification container 3 adds enzymes to the woody biomass components (i.e., decomposition products) that have been reduced in molecular weight in the radiolysis container 2, and converts them into glucose (saccharification). In enzymatic saccharification treatment, 50°C is generally considered to be an appropriate temperature range. In this embodiment, the enzyme saccharification container 3 is heated and its temperature is maintained by installing the heat supply unit 42 of the heat recovery and supply device 4 in close proximity to or in contact with the outside of the enzyme saccharification container 3.

[0024] (Heat recovery and heat supply using heat recovery and supply equipment) Next, with reference to Figure 1, we will explain the heat recovery from the radiation source 1 by the heat recovery and supply device 4, and the heat supply to the processing container 31, such as the enzyme saccharification container 3. As shown in Figure 1, the heat recovery and supply device 4 is filled with water. The heat recovery unit 41 of the heat recovery and supply device 4 is installed near (for example, in close proximity to or in contact with) the surface of the radiation source 1 that does not face the radiolysis vessel 2. In this embodiment, the heat generated by the radioactive decay of the radiation source 1 is used to heat the water in the heat recovery unit 41 near the surface of the radiation source 1. The heated water is transferred by a pump 6 to the heat supply unit 42 of the heat recovery and supply device 4, which is installed near or in contact with the outside of the enzymatic saccharification vessel 3, and is used to maintain the temperature of the enzymatic saccharification vessel 3. After that, the water is supplied again to the heat recovery unit 41 of the heat recovery and supply device 4. In this embodiment, water is used as an example of a medium for heat transfer in the heat recovery and supply device 4, but any liquid, gas, or solid that can transfer heat can be used.

[0025] (Condition measurement unit and heat supply control unit) Furthermore, as shown in Figure 1, it is preferable that the organic compound decomposition apparatus S includes a state measurement unit 7 and a heat supply amount control unit 8. The state measurement unit 7 is provided in the processing container 31 (for example, the enzyme saccharification container 3 in Figure 1) and measures the internal state of the enzyme saccharification container 3 as it is being heated. Examples of the state measurement unit 7 include a thermometer, viscometer, flow meter, etc., but is not limited to these. Also, it is sufficient to have one of these, but it may also have multiple. Preferably, the state measurement unit 7 measures the temperature, preferably the internal temperature of the processing container 31. In this way, the internal state of the processing container 31 (enzyme saccharification container 3), such as the temperature, can be appropriately grasped.

[0026] The heat supply control unit 8 is connected to the pump 6 and the state measurement unit 7. Based on the temperature readings from the state measurement unit 7, the heat supply control unit 8 controls the flow rate of the pump 6 and adjusts the amount of heat supplied by the heat recovery and supply device 4 to the processing container 31 so that the temperature inside the enzyme saccharification container 3 is within the appropriate range. In other words, if the readings from the state measurement unit 7 are below the appropriate range, the heat supply control unit 8 increases the flow rate of the pump 6 and increases the amount of hot water supplied to the heat supply unit 42 located outside the processing container 31. On the other hand, if the readings from the state measurement unit 7 are above the appropriate range, the heat supply control unit 8 reduces the flow rate of the pump 6 and decreases the amount of hot water supplied to the heat supply unit 42.

[0027] With the above configuration, the organic compound decomposition apparatus S can supply the radiation from the radiation source 1 to the radiolysis vessel 2 without attenuation, and can supply the heat generated from the radiation source 1 to the processing vessel 31 (enzyme saccharification vessel 3) via the heat recovery and supply device 4. Therefore, the organic compound decomposition apparatus S can maintain or improve the efficiency of the decomposition of organic compounds (e.g., woody biomass) in the radiolysis vessel 2 and the processing of the decomposed products (e.g., glucose production) in the enzyme saccharification vessel 3. This is a significant advantage compared to, for example, the invention described in Patent Document 1, which uses only gamma rays. Furthermore, the organic compound decomposition apparatus S can reduce the cost, energy consumption, and CO2 emissions associated with maintaining the temperature of the processing vessel 31 (enzyme saccharification vessel 3). This is a significant advantage compared to, for example, the invention described in Patent Document 2, which relies on an additional heat source.

[0028] In this embodiment, woody biomass was used as an example of the material to be treated, but the method is not limited to this. The material to be treated can be any biomass containing cellulose, such as herbaceous biomass like rice straw or rice husks, seaweed, or food waste. In this embodiment, a glucose production process from woody biomass was used as an example, but the method is not limited to this, and any processing process that includes steps to promote decomposition by supplying heat can be applied. For example, it can be applied to drying containers, fermentation containers, etc., as well as the radiolysis container 2 itself. The supply of heat to the radiolysis container 2 will be explained in the modified example 1 of the first embodiment and the second embodiment described later.

[0029] In this embodiment, the system is configured with one radiation source 1, one radiolysis vessel 2, and one heat recovery / supply device 4. However, it is also possible to configure it with multiple such devices. An example of such a configuration is shown in Figure 2. Figure 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of arrangement when there are multiple radiation sources 1, radiolysis vessels 2, and heat recovery / supply devices 4. As shown in Figure 2, in this embodiment, for example, four radiolysis vessels 2 are installed so as to surround four radiation sources 1. In addition, one heat recovery and supply device 4 is installed in the center of the four radiation sources 1, and four heat recovery and supply devices 4 are installed near the surface of the radiation sources 1 located between each of the radiolysis vessels 2. Because this embodiment of the organic compound decomposition apparatus S has multiple radiation sources 1, radiolysis vessels 2, and heat recovery and supply devices 4, it is relatively compact while being able to decompose organic compounds even more efficiently.

[0030] In the first embodiment, it was explained that the heat recovery unit 41 of the heat recovery and supply device 4 is installed near the surface of the radiation source 1 that does not face the radiolysis vessel 2, but this is not the only possible configuration. For example, the heat recovery unit 41 may face the radiolysis vessel 2 and be installed near the surface of the radiation source 1, and the processing vessel 31 may be installed at a distance from the heat recovery unit 41 that does not reduce the decomposition effect by radiation. This increases the design flexibility and allows for the decomposition of organic compounds and other treatments in various configurations.

[0031] Although not shown in the figures, in this embodiment, in another configuration, the air from the radiation-controlled area 5, heated by the heat generated by the radiation source 1, may be supplied by pump 6 to a heat supply unit 42 installed outside the processing container 31 (enzyme saccharification container 3) to heat the processing container 31. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the temperature of the processing container 31 (enzyme saccharification container 3) was controlled based on the flow rate of the pump 6, but this is not limited to this. For example, an additional heat source or cooling device may be installed to control the temperature of water contained in the heat recovery unit 41 or the heat supply unit 42. The additional heat source will be described in Modification 2 of the First Embodiment, which will be described later.

[0032] <Modification 1 of the first embodiment> Figure 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating the configuration of the organic compound decomposition apparatus S according to Modification 1 of the first embodiment. Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV of Figure 3. In the first embodiment, the heat generated by the radiation source 1 was supplied to the enzyme saccharification container 3, which is the processing container 31. However, in the first modification of the first embodiment, as shown in Figure 3, the heat generated by the radiation source 1 is supplied to the radiolysis container 2. This corresponds to the configuration mentioned in the first embodiment, in which the heat supply unit 42 supplies the recovered generated heat to the radiolysis container 2. In this way, the temperature of the radiolysis container 2 rises, and the reaction rate of radicals increases. As a result, the decomposition efficiency by radiation is further improved. The following describes the organic compound decomposition apparatus S according to the first modification of the first embodiment, focusing on the differences from the first embodiment.

[0033] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, in Modification 1, it is preferable that neither the heat recovery unit 41 nor the heat supply unit 42 of the heat recovery and supply device 4 are installed between the radiation source 1 and the radiolysis vessel 2. Specifically, it is preferable that the heat recovery unit 41 and the heat supply unit 42 be installed in opposing positions with the radiation source 1 and the radiolysis vessel 2 in between. If the heat recovery unit 41 and the heat supply unit 42 are installed between the radiation source 1 and the radiolysis vessel 2, the attenuation of the radiation irradiated from the radiation source 1 to the radiolysis vessel 2 will increase. However, in the above embodiment described with reference to Figures 3 and 4, it is possible to avoid the attenuation of radiation. In addition, the portion of the radiolysis vessel 2 that does not face the radiation source 1, that is, the portion that is the back of the radiolysis vessel 2 as seen from the radiation source 1, is at a relatively greater distance from the radiation source 1, so the efficiency of decomposition of organic compounds by radiation is lower. Therefore, in the configuration shown in Figures 3 and 4, the portion of the radiolysis vessel 2 that is the back of the radiolysis vessel 2 as viewed from the radiation source 1 is heated by the heat supply unit 42 of the heat recovery and supply device 4, thereby improving the decomposition efficiency of the organic compound in that back portion. In this configuration, a stirrer (not shown) may be installed in the radiolysis vessel 2 to ensure uniform decomposition of the organic compound by radiation.

[0034] In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 3, a state measurement unit 7 (e.g., a thermometer) is installed in the radiolysis vessel 2 to measure the temperature inside the radiolysis vessel 2. The heat supply control unit 8 is connected to the pump 6 and the state measurement unit 7 (thermometer). In this embodiment, the heat supply control unit 8 controls the flow rate of the pump 6 based on the measurement value (e.g., temperature measurement value) of the inside of the radiolysis vessel 2 by the state measurement unit 7 (thermometer), and controls the amount of heat supplied to the radiolysis vessel 2 by the heat recovery and supply device 4 so that the temperature inside the radiolysis vessel 2 is within a predetermined value (appropriate range). In other words, if the temperature measurement value of the thermometer is below the predetermined value, the heat supply control unit 8 increases the flow rate of the pump 6 to raise the temperature inside the radiolysis vessel 2 and promote the decomposition of organic compounds. On the other hand, if the temperature measurement value of the thermometer is above the predetermined value, the heat supply control unit 8 reduces the flow rate of the pump 6. This prevents the pressure inside the radiolysis vessel 2 from becoming excessive due to the rise in temperature.

[0035] With the above configuration, the heat supply unit 42 can improve the radiolysis effect of the irradiated material (organic compound) in the radiolysis vessel 2. In this embodiment, the flow rate of the pump 6 was controlled so that the temperature measured by the thermometer in the radiolysis vessel 2 reached a predetermined temperature, but this is not the only way to do so. For example, in this embodiment, the predetermined temperature setting may be raised or lowered based on the processing results of the radiolysis vessel 2, the enzymatic saccharification vessel 3, etc. For example, if an indicator representing the demolecularization of the material to be treated by radiation, such as viscosity, is measured and compared with a predetermined value, and it is determined that the decomposition has not progressed sufficiently, the decomposition of the material to be treated in the radiolysis vessel 2 can be promoted by raising the predetermined temperature setting.

[0036] Furthermore, if woody biomass is the organic compound to be radioactively decomposed in the radioactive decomposition vessel 2, water, alkali, acid, etc., may be added to the radioactive decomposition vessel 2. For example, the addition of water increases the amount of radicals generated during radiation irradiation, thereby accelerating decomposition. The addition of alkali dissolves some of the lignin and hemicellulose in the woody biomass, weakening the bond with cellulose and accelerating decomposition. The addition of acid hydrolyzes the cellulose and hemicellulose in the woody biomass.

[0037] <Modification 2 of the first embodiment> Figure 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating the configuration of the organic compound decomposition apparatus S according to a modified example 2 of the first embodiment. In the first embodiment and modification 1 of the first embodiment, the radiation source 1 was used as the sole heat source. However, depending on the heat output of the radiation source 1 and the amount of heat required by the enzyme saccharification container 3 and the radiolysis container 2, the radiation source 1 alone may be insufficient for heating. Therefore, in modification 2 of the first embodiment, as shown in Figure 5, a part of the heat recovery and supply device 4 is heated by an additional heat source 9. In Figure 5, the additional heat source 9 is installed in front of the enzyme saccharification container 3 to heat the enzyme saccharification container 3. The following describes the organic compound decomposition apparatus S according to modification 2 of the first embodiment, focusing on the differences from the first embodiment.

[0038] In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 5, a state measurement unit 7 (e.g., a thermometer) is installed in the processing container 31 (enzyme saccharification container 3) to measure the internal temperature of the enzyme saccharification container 3. In this embodiment, the heat supply control unit 8 is connected to the pump 6, the state measurement unit 7 (e.g., a thermometer), and the additional heat source 9. When the internal temperature measured by the thermometer inside the enzyme saccharification container 3 falls below a predetermined range, the heat supply control unit 8 increases the amount of heat supplied from the additional heat source 9 to the heat recovery and supply device 4. On the other hand, when the internal temperature measured by the thermometer inside the enzyme saccharification container 3 exceeds a predetermined range, the heat supply control unit 8 stops or decreases the amount of heat supplied from the additional heat source 9 to the heat recovery and supply device 4. In other words, the heat supply control unit 8 controls the amount of heat supplied from the additional heat source 9 to the heat recovery and supply device 4 based on the measurement value from the state measurement unit 7. The additional heat source 9 can be any source that has enough heat to be used for heating, such as waste heat from combustion in a boiler or waste heat from equipment in a data center. Furthermore, if the temperature reading inside the enzyme saccharification container 3, as measured by the thermometer mentioned above, falls below a predetermined range, the heat supply control unit 8 may increase the flow rate of the pump 6 and increase the amount of hot water supplied to the heat supply unit 42 installed outside the processing container 31 (enzyme saccharification container 3). Also, if the temperature reading inside the enzyme saccharification container 3, as measured by the thermometer mentioned above, exceeds a predetermined range, the heat supply control unit 8 may decrease the flow rate of the pump 6 and reduce the amount of hot water supplied to the heat supply unit 42. With the above configuration, the accuracy of temperature control in the enzyme saccharification container 3 is improved, and the efficiency of enzyme saccharification is maintained or improved.

[0039] <Second Embodiment> In the first embodiment, heat was supplied from the outside of the target container, such as the enzyme saccharification container 3 or the radiolysis container 2, but in this embodiment, heat is supplied from the inside of the target container. In this embodiment, the configuration that differs from Modification 1 of the first embodiment will be described, with an example of supplying heat to the radiolysis container 2.

[0040] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating the configuration of the organic compound decomposition apparatus S according to the second embodiment. The organic compound decomposition apparatus S shown in Figure 6 recovers the organic compound to be processed (for example, woody biomass) from the radiolysis vessel 2 and heats it by passing it through the heat recovery section 41 of the heat recovery and supply device 4 installed near the radiation source 1. In other words, in this embodiment, the heat generated from the radiation source 1 is recovered in the heat recovery section 41. Then, in this embodiment, the heated material to be processed is circulated back to the radiolysis vessel 2. In this embodiment, the temperature of the radiolysis vessel 2 is increased in this way.

[0041] The outlet of the radiolysis vessel 2 for supplying the material to be processed to the heat recovery and supply device 4 should be located at the bottom or the lower part of the side of the radiolysis vessel 2. The inlet for supplying the material to be processed from the heat recovery and supply device 4 to the radiolysis vessel 2 should be located at the top or the upper part of the side of the radiolysis vessel 2. This arrangement facilitates the circulation of the material to be processed compared to the case where the inlet is located at the top of the radiolysis vessel 2. This inlet can be considered a heat supply unit 42, as it heats the inside of the radiolysis vessel 2 with the heated material to be processed. In other words, the heat supply unit 42 can be considered to supply the heat generated from the radiation source 1 recovered by the heat recovery unit 41 to the radiolysis vessel 2. When the outlet and inlet for the circulation of the material to be processed are located on the side, they should be installed in a part that does not face the radiation source 1. This prevents the radiation from being attenuated by the structure.

[0042] With the above configuration, the material to be processed is heated not only in the radiolysis container 2, but also in the heat recovery unit 41 near the radiation source 1, and radiolysis progresses, thus further accelerating the decomposition. In the second embodiment, the decomposed material and the material to be processed, which have been decomposed in the radiolysis vessel 2, are transferred from the radiolysis vessel 2 to the processing vessel 31 via the flow path 11. In this embodiment, the material to be processed in the radiolysis vessel 2 is targeted for heat supply, but this is not limited to this; any process in which decomposition is promoted by radiation and heat is acceptable. For example, in methane fermentation, heating is sometimes used to promote the reaction, and some of the organic compounds in the material to be processed remain undecomposed into methane. Therefore, by applying radiation and heat from the radiation source 1 to a portion of the material to be processed in the methane fermentation vessel via the heat recovery and supply device 4, the decomposition of organic compounds can be promoted, shortening the methane fermentation period and improving the yield.

[0043] <Modified form of the second embodiment> In the second embodiment, woody biomass was given as an example of the material to be treated, and it was explained that a portion of it is circulated between the radiolysis container 2 and the heat recovery and supply device 4 to supply radiation and heat. As a modification of the second embodiment, a mechanism is provided to separate a portion of the decomposed material of the material to be treated, which has been reduced in molecular weight, during the circulation process described above. This is provided to prevent the generation of substances other than the intended ones, as excessive radiolysis of organic compounds, including woody biomass, may occur. The modifications of the second embodiment will be described in terms of configurations that differ from the second embodiment.

[0044] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram illustrating the configuration of the organic compound decomposition apparatus S according to a modified example of the second embodiment. As shown in Figure 7, in a modified version of the second embodiment, a portion of the heat recovery and supply device 4 extends outside the radiation controlled area 5, and a decomposition product separation unit 10 is installed in that portion. The decomposition product separation unit 10 includes separation means that can separate the material to be treated from the decomposition products. Examples of such separation means include filtration membranes, sedimentation separation, and centrifugal separation. In this embodiment, the decomposition product separation unit 10 separates a portion of the decomposition products (e.g., decomposition products of woody biomass) of the organic compound, which is the material to be treated, contained in the radiolysis container 2, that is, it separates decomposition products with a molecular weight below a predetermined level, and supplies them to a processing container 31 such as an enzymatic saccharification container 3 via a flow path 12. In this embodiment, the remaining portion of the decomposition products separated in the decomposition product separation unit 10 is heated in the heat recovery and supply device 4 and then supplied to the radiolysis container 2. In other words, decomposition products and organic compounds exceeding a predetermined molecular weight that were not separated in the decomposition product separation unit 10 were not decomposed sufficiently. Therefore, they are decomposed by radiation from the radiation source 1 and heated in the heat recovery unit 41 of the heat recovery and supply device 4, and then supplied again to the radiolysis container 2 for further decomposition. With the above configuration, excessive radiolysis of the target material in the radiolysis vessel 2 can be suppressed, while the yield in the enzymatic saccharification vessel 3 and the like can be maintained or improved. In this embodiment, decomposition products and organic compounds exceeding a predetermined molecular weight that were not separated in the decomposition product separation unit 10 may be supplied to another processing container 31 (for example, a fermentation container).

[0045] In this embodiment, all of the decomposed woody biomass to be transferred to the enzymatic saccharification container 3 is separated in the decomposed product separation unit 10 and transferred to the enzymatic saccharification container 3 via the flow path 12. However, a flow path 11 for direct transfer from the radiolysis container 2 to the enzymatic saccharification container 3, as described in the second embodiment, may also be provided. This would allow for the rapid transfer of the material to be processed and the decomposed products from the radiolysis container 2 to the enzymatic saccharification container 3 as needed.

[0046] Although the organic compound decomposition apparatus S according to the present invention has been described in detail above with reference to embodiments, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above and includes various modifications. For example, the embodiments described above are described in detail for the purpose of explaining the present invention in an easy-to-understand manner and are not necessarily limited to those having all the configurations described. Furthermore, it is possible to replace a part of the configuration of one embodiment with the configuration of another embodiment, and it is also possible to add the configuration of another embodiment to the configuration of one embodiment. In addition, it is possible to add, delete, or replace parts of the configuration of each embodiment with other configurations. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0047] S Organic compound decomposition equipment 1 radiation source 2. Radiation decomposition vessel 31 Processing container 3. Enzyme saccharification container 4. Heat recovery and supply system 41 Heat Recovery Unit 42 Heat supply section 5 Radiation control area 7. Condition Measurement Unit 8. Heat supply control unit 9 Additional heat source 10 Degradation product separation section

Claims

1. A radiation source that emits radiation, A radiolysis vessel that uses radiation from the aforementioned radiation source to decompose an organic compound to be treated and obtain decomposed products with reduced molecular weight, A heat recovery and supply device comprising a heat recovery unit for recovering heat generated from the radiation source, and a heat supply unit for supplying the recovered generated heat to the radiolysis container or a processing container for heating and processing one or more of the organic compound and the decomposition product, An organic compound decomposition apparatus characterized by comprising the following:

2. The aforementioned processing container A drying container, which is placed in front of the radiolysis vessel and dries the organic compound, An enzyme saccharification vessel is positioned downstream of the radiolysis vessel and reacts with enzymes to saccharify the decomposition product transferred from the radiolysis vessel, or A fermentation vessel, which is placed downstream of the radiolysis vessel or the enzymatic saccharification vessel, for fermenting the decomposed product. The organic compound decomposition apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that it is the same as described in claim 1.

3. The organic compound decomposition apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that a part of the heat recovery and supply device is heated by an additional heat source.

4. The organic compound decomposition apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the heat recovery unit is installed near the surface of the radiation source that does not face the radiolysis vessel.

5. The heat recovery unit faces the radiolysis container and is installed near the surface of the radiation source, The processing container is installed at a distance from the heat recovery unit such that the decomposition effect by radiation is not reduced. The organic compound decomposition apparatus according to feature 1.

6. A state measuring unit for measuring the state of the processing container, A heat supply amount control unit controls the amount of heat supplied by the heat recovery and supply device to the processing container based on the measured values ​​from the state measurement unit, The organic compound decomposition apparatus according to claim 1, characterized by comprising:

7. A state measurement unit for measuring the state of the radiolysis vessel, A heat supply amount control unit controls the amount of heat supplied by the heat recovery and supply device to the radiolysis vessel based on the measured values ​​from the state measurement unit, The organic compound decomposition apparatus according to claim 1, characterized by comprising:

8. The organic compound decomposition apparatus according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that the state measurement unit measures temperature.

9. The organic compound decomposition apparatus according to claim 6, characterized in that the heat supply amount control unit controls the amount of heat supplied from the additional heat source to the heat recovery and supply device based on the measured value by the state measurement unit.

10. The system includes a decomposition product separation unit that separates a portion of the decomposition product recovered from the radiolysis container and supplies it to the processing container. The remaining portion of the decomposition product separated in the decomposition product separation unit is heated in the heat recovery and supply device and then supplied to the radiolysis container. The organic compound decomposition apparatus according to feature 1.

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