Organic matter gasification system and carbonization furnace and gasification furnace used therein

Abstract

Provided are: an efficient vertical carbonization furnace in which the carbonization rate can be controlled; a gasification furnace having high thermal efficiency; and an organic matter gasification system using same.　A carbonization furnace 30 for discharging high-temperature exhaust gas HEG by providing a first air supply mechanism 13 for releasing high-temperature combustion air and high-temperature water vapor to an organic matter combustion region A1 and a second air supply mechanism 14 for supplying combustion air to an exhaust gas combustion region B1 is connected, via a heating unit 57a which passes through 53a that passes through a reactor, to a gasification furnace 50 to supply carbides from the carbonization furnace 30 to the reactor, and supply high-temperature exhaust gas from the carbonization furnace 30 to a heating unit 56a, thereby constituting an organic matter gasification system having not only improved carbonization efficiency and carbonization quality, but also improved gasification efficiency.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a carbonization furnace that carbonizes organic matter such as biomass and plastics (particularly organic waste) to produce carbonized material, a gasification furnace that efficiently produces hydrogen and other various gases from the carbonized material, and an organic matter gasification system that uses these carbonization furnaces and gasification furnaces to gasify organic matter such as biomass to generate electricity or produce energy such as hydrogen gas and ethanol. [Background technology]

[0002] In order to protect the natural environment and maintain the limited nature, efforts are being made in various fields to reuse useful resources such as organic waste from animals and plants in the natural world, and organic waste made from petroleum and other raw materials. For example, there are systems that carbonize biomass and extract various gases from the carbonized material, and biomass power generation systems that use the water gas thus extracted to generate power. In addition, organic waste such as plastics, chemical fibers, and films produced from crude oil are also a cause of various environmental pollution, and there is a demand for systems that can effectively utilize these organic wastes such as plastics.

[0003] Organic matter such as biomass and plastics can be converted into useful substances such as hydrogen gas and ethanol that can be used as energy by gasification. In addition, the gasified gas can be used effectively to generate electricity. Therefore, a system that extracts useful substances from such organic waste and converts them into gas, electrical energy, etc., effectively utilizes organic waste that was previously disposed of, and contributes greatly to the creation of a recycling-oriented society. As such systems, a biomass carbonization system (Patent Document 1) and a biomass power generation system (Patent Document 2) have been proposed, which carbonize organic matter to generate water gas and use the water gas to generate electricity. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. WO2016 / 04371 [Patent Document 2] JP 2017-132676 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The technologies disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2 separate the carbonization furnace and the gasification furnace, carbonize organic matter (biomass) such as wood in the carbonization furnace, and produce water gas from the carbonized material produced in the carbonization furnace in the gasification furnace. A cylindrical heat storage tank is installed inside the carbonization furnace, and the raw biomass is fed into the top of the carbonization furnace. To heat the inside of the carbonization furnace to a high temperature, a portion of the fed biomass is combusted in the combustion zone. Below the combustion zone is the carbonization zone, where no oxygen is supplied and the zone is maintained in a high temperature and oxygen-deficient state (hereinafter referred to as an "oxygen-deficient state"). The remaining biomass is carbonized in the carbonization zone.

[0006] In biomass carbonization furnaces such as those shown in Patent Documents 1 and 2, a portion of the input biomass is combusted to maintain a high temperature inside the carbonization furnace, and the biomass is exposed to a high temperature of about 800° C. and an oxygen-deficient state to produce char from the biomass. Therefore, it is desired to reduce the amount of biomass consumed as fuel and improve the ratio of char produced to the input organic matter (hereinafter referred to as carbonization efficiency), improve the quality of the char, and increase the carbonization speed.

[0007] In addition, in a gasifier that produces useful gases such as water gas from carbides, a high thermal energy is required for the gasification reaction. Therefore, in order to promote the gasification reaction, it is necessary to efficiently supply thermal energy to the reactor inside the gasifier. In the carbide pyrolysis furnace (corresponding to a gasifier) ​​of Patent Document 1 or 2, since the furnace is structured such that high-temperature exhaust gas flows through a cylindrical pipe that surrounds the entire reaction tube (reactor) from the outside, the internal reaction tube is heated from the outside, and therefore the thermal energy of the high-temperature exhaust gas flowing through the outer part of the cylindrical pipe is not efficiently transmitted to the internal reaction tube, and the thermal energy of the input high-temperature exhaust gas cannot be effectively used for the gasification reaction.

[0008] The present invention aims to provide a carbonization furnace that can improve the carbonization efficiency of input organic matter and emit high-temperature exhaust gas, a gasification furnace that improves gasification efficiency by increasing the efficiency of thermal energy utilization, and an organic matter gasification system that uses these carbonization furnaces and gasification furnaces to gasify organic matter highly efficiently and at low cost, or convert the organic matter into energy by utilizing the generated gas. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] In order to achieve the above object, a gasification system for organic matter according to a first aspect of the present invention is a gasification system for organic matter comprising: a carbonization furnace that generates a carbonized material by inputting organic matter; a reaction furnace into which the carbonized material generated in the carbonization furnace and a gasifying agent are input; and a heating unit that heats the reaction furnace, the gasification system comprising: The carbonization furnace has an organic matter combustion area in which part of the organic matter is burned to maintain the temperature of the carbonization furnace at a high temperature, and a carbonization area in which the organic matter is carbonized, and is characterized in that high-temperature water vapor is radiated onto the organic matter in the combustion area.

[0010] The high-temperature steam is preferably, but not limited to, superheated steam at 800° C. or higher. By supplying high-temperature steam, organic matter can be directly carbonized by the high-temperature steam, improving the carbonization efficiency.

[0011] Another aspect of the organic matter gasification system of the present invention is characterized in that the carbonization furnace further includes an exhaust gas combustion area for burning combustible gas generated in the organic matter combustion area and the carbonization area, and an exhaust gas discharge section for discharging high-temperature exhaust gas generated by the combustion of the combustible gas, and the high-temperature exhaust gas discharged from within the carbonization furnace is supplied to the heating section of the gasification furnace. In the organic matter combustion area, the organic matter is burned and the high-temperature steam and the organic matter react in a short time due to the increased thermal conductivity, generating flammable gases such as combustion exhaust gas containing tar and carbon monoxide. These flammable gases are burned in the exhaust gas combustion area and heated to a temperature higher than that of the organic matter combustion area, whereby the flammable gas and tar are burned and high-temperature exhaust gas is generated. This high-temperature exhaust gas is sent from the exhaust gas discharge section to the heating section of the gasification furnace.

[0012] A carbonization furnace according to a first aspect of the present invention is a carbonization furnace that maintains the temperature of the carbonization furnace at a high temperature by burning a portion of the organic matter fed in the carbonization furnace in an organic matter combustion region within the carbonization furnace, and carbonizes the organic matter, and is characterized in that the carbonization furnace is provided with a water vapor supply unit that irradiates high-temperature water vapor to the organic matter in the organic matter combustion region. By irradiating the water vapor heated by the water vapor supply unit to the combustion region, the charred matter can be directly carbonized or carbonized, improving the carbonization efficiency of the organic matter and further increasing the amount of combustible gas.

[0013] A carbonization furnace according to another aspect of the present invention is characterized in that the carbonization furnace is provided with a first air supply mechanism for supplying combustion air to the organic matter combustion region, the first air supply mechanism having a heating space formed by a first outer wall surrounding at least a part of the organic matter combustion region of the carbonization furnace from the outside, a first frame body part constituting the inner wall of the carbonization furnace on the organic matter combustion region side of the heating space has at least one through hole, and supplies combustion air to the heating space and supplies it to the organic matter combustion region through the through hole. It is preferable that the first frame body part has heat resistance and thermal conductivity. It is preferable that the first frame body part further has heat storage properties.

[0014] With this configuration, the combustion air can be heated in the heating space and the high-temperature combustion air can be supplied to the organic matter combustion area, thereby preventing the temperature of the organic matter combustion area from being lowered by introducing low-temperature combustion air.

[0015] In another aspect of the carbonization furnace of the present invention, the water vapor supply unit supplies the high-temperature water vapor to the heating space of the first air supply mechanism and radiates the high-temperature water vapor to the organic matter combustion area through the through-hole. The water vapor supply unit is preferably configured such that a tubular body having good thermal conductivity is installed in the heating space, and water vapor supplied from the outside is superheated as it passes through the inside of the tubular body, and the superheated water vapor is radiated from the tip of the tubular body to the heating space. This allows the first air supply mechanism to also function as a water vapor supply section.

[0016] The carbonization furnace according to another aspect of the present invention further comprises a second air supply mechanism for burning in an exhaust gas combustion region flammable gas generated by the combustion and carbonization of the organic matter in the organic matter combustion region and by irradiating the organic matter with the high-temperature steam, and an exhaust gas discharge section for discharging the flammable gas in the exhaust gas combustion region as high-temperature exhaust gas. This second air supply mechanism can be configured in the same manner as the first air supply mechanism for supplying combustion air.

[0017] The second air supply mechanism has a heating space formed by a second outer wall that surrounds at least a portion of the organic matter combustion area of ​​the carbonization furnace from the outside, and a second frame portion that constitutes the inner wall of the carbonization furnace on the exhaust gas combustion area side of the heating space has at least one through hole, and can be configured to supply combustion air to the heating space and then to the organic matter combustion area through the through hole.

[0018] With this structure, various combustible gases generated in the combustion area can be burned in the exhaust gas combustion area, which not only allows the tar components in the exhaust gas to be combusted and decomposed, but also enables the emission of high-temperature exhaust gas, which can be used as an effective heat source, for example, to heat the steam radiated to the gasification furnace or combustion area to a high temperature.

[0019] Furthermore, in the carbonization furnace according to another aspect of the present invention, the steam supply unit includes a steam chamber that is provided above the exhaust gas combustion area and generates high-temperature steam, and a steam supply pipe that is piped from the steam chamber through the exhaust gas combustion area to the organic matter combustion area and further heats and transports the high-temperature steam in the steam chamber and radiates it to the organic matter combustion area. This makes it possible to radiate higher-temperature steam toward the organic matter combustion area. Also, a temperature sensor may be provided near the exhaust gas combustion area, and when the temperature of the temperature sensor falls below a predetermined temperature, the amount of combustion air is increased to maintain the temperature of the exhaust gas combustion area at or above the predetermined temperature.

[0020] The gasification furnace according to the first aspect of the present invention is a gasification furnace that gasifies carbonized material fed into it, and is characterized by comprising: a cylindrical main body portion with an internal space; a heating portion formed of a material with high thermal conductivity and / or heat storage capacity, which penetrates the center of the internal space of the cylindrical main body portion in the longitudinal direction and has a flow path for passing high-temperature gas; a reaction portion formed by the internal space surrounding the heating portion and heated by the heating portion to gasify the organic material fed into it; a raw material supply portion provided upstream of the reaction portion and which feeds the organic material and a gasifying agent into the reaction portion; and a gas outlet provided downstream of the reaction portion and which extracts various useful gases produced by the reaction portion.

[0021] In this embodiment, the heating section is arranged to penetrate through the center or near the center of the cylindrical main body, which serves as a material reactor having high thermal conductivity and / or heat storage capacity, so that the thermal energy of the high-temperature gas can be more efficiently transferred to the reactor, thereby improving the heating efficiency of the reactor.

[0022] Moreover, the raw material supply section includes a carbide supply section for supplying a predetermined amount of carbide obtained by finely pulverizing the carbide supplied from the carbonization furnace by a pulverizing section, and an injection injection section for mixing the pulverized carbide with a gasifying agent and injecting the mixture into the reaction section, thereby improving the gasification efficiency in the reaction furnace. It is preferable to supply high-temperature steam as the gasifying agent, for example, superheated steam at 800°C or higher. Furthermore, it is preferable that a negative pressure is applied from the raw material injection section to the gas outlet in the reaction section of the gasification furnace. This allows the raw material to be moved from the upstream to the downstream in the reactor to promote the reaction, and the generated useful gas can be taken out on the downstream side. In addition, by providing a plurality of projections and recesses on the surface of the outer wall or the inner wall of the heating section to increase the contact area with the reaction section, the efficiency of heat transfer to the reactor can be further improved.

[0023] An organic matter gasification system for producing useful gas from organic matter can be constructed by combining any one of the carbonization furnaces according to the above-mentioned embodiments with any one of the gasification furnaces according to the above-mentioned embodiments. Also, it is possible to construct a biomass power generation system, an energy conversion system for ethanol production, hydrogen gas separation, etc., using various useful gases produced by these organic matter gasification systems as fuel. Effect of the Invention

[0024] According to the organic matter gasification system using the carbonization furnace and gasification furnace of the present invention, organic matter can be efficiently carbonized and the carbonized material can be efficiently gasified, thereby providing an efficient and inexpensive organic matter gasification system. In particular, the carbonization furnace according to the present invention can radiate high-temperature steam to the organic matter combustion region, thereby significantly improving the carbonization rate and increasing the carbonization speed, compared to carbonization by simply burning a portion of the organic matter. It also becomes possible to input organic matter that is less dry than in the past. Furthermore, by providing a configuration in which combustible gases generated by combustion and carbonization are burned in the exhaust gas combustion region, it is possible to provide high-temperature exhaust gas. It also becomes possible to stably combust and decompose the tar content of the exhaust gas.

[0025] In addition, according to the gasification furnace of the present invention, a heating section is inserted through the center of the reactor, and high-temperature gas is supplied to the inside of the superheating section and passed through it, thereby providing a gasification furnace with high thermal efficiency. Furthermore, by finely grinding the carbide and feeding it, and heating the gasification agent to a high temperature and feeding it, the efficiency of the reaction can be further promoted.

[0026] Furthermore, by combining various carbonization furnaces and gasification furnaces according to each embodiment of the present invention as described above, it is possible to provide an organic matter "gasification system" that can share the effects of each carbonization furnace and gasification furnace, and to provide a biomass energy conversion system.

[0027] In this way, in the gasification furnace according to the present invention, the heat exchange efficiency of the high-temperature gas, which is the heat source of the heating section, can be dramatically improved, and the gasification reaction can be made small and efficient in the gasification furnace. By using such an efficient and compact carbonization furnace and gasification furnace according to the present invention, the carbonization efficiency and gasification efficiency are greatly improved, and the size of the equipment can be flexibly constructed according to the amount of organic matter generated, so that the cost-effectiveness is greatly improved, and it becomes easier than ever to construct a practical small-scale biomass power generation system for local production and consumption. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0028] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of an organic matter gasification system according to the present invention. [Diagram 2]2 is a cross-sectional view of a first air supply mechanism portion, showing a cross section taken along line DD of the carbonization furnace portion in FIG. 1. FIG. [Diagram 3] 3 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a schematic cross section of the first air supply mechanism as viewed from the direction of line EE in FIG. 2. [Figure 4] 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic cross section of the second air supply mechanism as viewed from the FF line direction attached to the carbonization furnace section in FIG. 1. [Diagram 5] FIG. 13 is a partial longitudinal cross-sectional view showing a schematic diagram of another embodiment in which high-temperature steam is injected into an organic matter combustion region. [Figure 6] FIG. 11 is a partial longitudinal cross-sectional view showing a schematic diagram of yet another embodiment in which superheated steam is injected into an organic matter combustion region. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram showing an example of control of the organic matter gasification system (example of application to a biomass power generation system) according to the present invention. [Figure 8] 4 is a flowchart showing an example of temperature control of exhaust gas from a carbonization furnace according to the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0029] The carbonization furnace, gasification furnace, organic matter gasification system, organic matter carbonization method, and gasification method according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. The organic matter gasification system is composed of a carbonization furnace that produces char from biomass, and a gasification furnace that produces various useful gases from the char. By supplying the useful gases produced by this system to a power generator or ethanol production device, a biomass power generation system and other systems that effectively use organic matter as energy can be constructed.

[0030] A functional block diagram showing a schematic configuration of an organic matter gasification system according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown in Fig. 1. The organic matter gasification system 10 includes a carbonization furnace 20 capable of efficiently producing carbonized matter from organic matter such as biomass by emitting high-temperature steam to an organic matter combustion region where the organic matter is burned, and a gasification furnace 50 connected to the carbonization furnace and capable of efficiently utilizing the thermal energy of the exhaust gas in the gasification reaction by supplying the high-temperature exhaust gas produced in the carbonization furnace so as to pass through a heating section provided to penetrate the center of the reactor.

[0031] 1 illustrates an example of a configuration including the carbonization furnace 20, the organic matter gasification system of the present invention can also be configured to supply organic matter such as carbonized material or plastics directly to the gasification furnace 50 without passing through the carbonization furnace 20. In that case, a heat source for the gasification furnace must be prepared separately. As an example of using the generated gas GS output from the gasification furnace 50, Fig. 1 shows an example in which a gas tank 65 for storing gas and a generator 67 are connected (an example that constitutes a biomass power generation system as a whole) (the block diagram is shown by a dashed line). However, the organic matter gasification system of the present invention is not limited to such a power generation system. For example, it can be used in various systems that generate various substances from organic waste, such as generating carbonized matter from organic matter such as biomass, feeding the generated carbonized matter into a gasification furnace, and feeding the generated gas into an ethanol generation device to generate ethanol.

[0032] The carbonization furnace 20 according to one embodiment of the present invention shown in Fig. 1 has a configuration in which high-temperature steam is radiated to organic matter in the organic matter combustion region A1. Fig. 1 also shows an example of the carbonization furnace 20 equipped with a rotatable heat storage body 30 having a screw-shaped protrusion 32 that can more accurately control the residence time in the organic matter combustion region A1 and the carbonization region A2, thereby more precisely controlling the carbonization process of biomass in the carbonization furnace 20.

[0033] The raw material for the carbonized material to be fed into the carbonization furnace 20 is not limited to biomass, and may be any organic material. In particular, it is desirable to effectively use thinned wood and other wood, straw and rice husks discharged from rice cultivation, plants such as vegetables, household waste such as vegetable waste and leftovers, and organic waste from poultry farms or farms as raw materials. The gasification furnace 50 of the present invention can also generate combustible gas using plastics and other organic materials as raw materials. In this specification, an example of generating carbonized material from biomass using wood (woody biomass) as a raw material will be described, but as mentioned above, it is not intended that the raw material for the carbonized material is limited to this. A biomass power generation system that uses discarded wood such as thinned wood in forest areas is particularly expected to be put to practical use as a small-scale power generation system that serves as a source of electric energy for local production and consumption in small areas adjacent to forests, and will be described as an example.

[0034] The basic components of carbonizing organic matter, generating various gases from the carbonized material by a gasification reaction, and feeding the generated carbonized material into a gasification furnace to generate useful gases such as water gas are the same as the system configuration disclosed in conventional biomass power generation systems. However, in the organic matter gasification system of the present invention, the components of the carbonization furnace and the gasification furnace each have their own characteristics, and by using these carbonization furnace and gasification furnace, a more efficient organic matter gasification system can be provided. In FIG. 1, in order to easily explain the configurations of the carbonization furnace 20 and the gasification furnace 50, only the main components are shown in a simple manner, and the power supply line for supplying electric energy, the signal line for acquiring information from various sensors, the control signal line for controlling various driving parts, the various driving mechanisms, the control valves, the filters, etc. are omitted.

[0035] 1, an organic matter gasification system 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a drying chamber 11 for drying organic matter C1, a carbonization furnace 20 including an input device 12 for inputting the dried organic matter C1 into the carbonization furnace 20 and generating a carbonized material from the organic matter C1, and a gasification furnace 50 for generating hydrogen gas and other gases (hereinafter referred to as "generated gas") from the carbonized material C2. When the organic matter gasification system of the present invention is used in a biomass power generation system, the generated gas GS generated by the organic matter gasification system 10 is stored in a gas tank 65 for storing the generated gas (hydrogen gas, etc.) generated by the gasification furnace 50, and is supplied to a generator 67 for generating electricity, which is then supplied to consumers as electric energy ELC.

[0036] 1, organic matter (woody biomass) as raw material is continuously fed into the carbonization furnace 20 from the top, and carbonized material is continuously removed from the bottom of the carbonization furnace 20. The carbonization furnace 20 includes an outer frame 21 made of a refractory material capable of withstanding high heat of over one thousand and several hundred degrees, and a heat storage body 30 rotatably provided inside the carbonization furnace. The outer frame 21 is generally formed of a double structure made of heat-resistant firebricks or the like that are highly heat-resistant and capable of withstanding high temperatures of over one thousand and several hundred degrees, and a heat insulating material.

[0037] Organic matter C1 such as woody biomass is cut into small pieces and then dried in a drying chamber 11. An organic matter inlet 22 for introducing the dried organic matter C1 is provided at the top of the carbonization furnace 20. An appropriate amount of the dried organic matter C1 is introduced into the carbonization furnace 20 from the organic matter inlet 22 by the introduction device 12 (the introduction device 12 and the organic matter inlet 22 constitute the "organic matter introduction section"). A carbonized matter removal section 23 for removing the carbonized matter C2 from the carbonization furnace 20 and sending it to the next process is provided at the bottom of the carbonization furnace 20. In addition, a gas discharge section 24 is provided at a position higher than the organic matter inlet 22 of the carbonization furnace 20, which burns the combustible gas generated by the combustion and carbonization of the organic matter C1 and the introduction of high-temperature steam, and discharges it as high-temperature exhaust gas HEG.

[0038] In the internal space of the carbonization furnace 20, a heat storage body 30 is rotatably provided at a position below the organic matter inlet 22, and is rotated by a motor 33 provided at the bottom of the carbonization furnace 20. A protrusion 32 protruding toward the inner wall 21a of the outer frame 21 is provided in a spiral (screw) shape on the outer peripheral portion (outer surface) 31 of the heat storage body 30. When this heat storage body 30 is rotated, the biomass and charcoal accumulated between the inner wall 21a of the carbonization furnace 20 and the outer peripheral portion 31 of the heat storage body 30 are slowly moved downward. The heat storage body 30, including the protrusion 32, is manufactured from a material having heat resistance and heat storage properties, and is controlled to rotate at a speed suitable for carbonizing the organic matter C1, for example, at a gentle speed of about one rotation per 20 minutes to one hour. By controlling the rotation speed of this heat storage body 30, it is possible to control the vertical movement speed of the organic matter C1 in the carbonization furnace 20.

[0039] Further, a part of the upper region of the heat storage body 30 and an internal space region sandwiched between the upper part of the heat storage body 30 and the inner wall 21a of the outer frame body become an organic matter combustion region A1. In order to maintain the carbonization furnace 20 at a high temperature of 800°C or more, a part of the organic matter C1 is partially combusted in this organic matter combustion region A1. That is, the temperature of the organic matter combustion region A1 in the carbonization furnace 20 is maintained at a high temperature of 800°C or more by the partial combustion of this organic matter C1. The internal space below the organic matter combustion region A1 of the carbonization furnace 20 becomes a carbonization region A2.

[0040] A first air supply mechanism 13 for controlling the combustion of the organic matter C1 is provided in a portion (first frame portion 21b: see Figs. 2 and 3) of the outer frame 21 corresponding to the position of the organic matter combustion region A1. Fig. 2 shows a partial cross-sectional view in the central horizontal direction (DD direction shown in Fig. 1) of the first air supply mechanism 13, and Fig. 3 shows a cross-sectional view of the first air adjustment mechanism 13 portion in the EE direction of Fig. 2. Note that the protrusions 32 of the heat storage body 30 and the configuration of the bottom of the carbonization furnace are omitted in Figs. 2 and 3.

[0041] The first air supply mechanism 13 has a heating space 13b formed by surrounding the outer periphery of the first frame portion 21b, which is a portion corresponding to the position of the organic matter combustion region A1 of the outer frame body 21, with the first outer peripheral wall 13a. Combustion air is supplied to this heating space 13b from the first air supply unit 25a. The first frame portion 21b has one or more through holes 25c that penetrate to the organic matter combustion region A1 inside the carbonization furnace. Note that Figs. 2 and 3 show an example in which the first air supply mechanism 13 surrounds the entire organic matter combustion region A1. It is preferable that the first air supply mechanism 13 covers the entire organic matter combustion region A1 in this way, but it may be configured to partially surround only a part of it. The same applies to the second air supply mechanism described below, and it is not necessarily necessary to cover the entire exhaust gas combustion region B1.

[0042] The outer peripheral wall 13a of the first air supply mechanism 13 is formed of a material having heat resistance and heat insulation properties, and the first frame body part 21b constituting the inside of the heating space 13b is preferably formed of a material having a good balance between thermal conductivity and heat storage properties. Since the organic matter combustion area A1 in the carbonization furnace 20 is at a high temperature of 800°C or more, the heating space 13b also becomes hot through the first frame body part 21b, and the combustion air supplied into the heating space 13b is heated. The combustion air supplied from the first air supply part 25a by a blower or the like is heated in the heating space 13b, and the high-temperature combustion air is supplied to the organic matter combustion area A1 from the through hole 25c. The combustion of the organic matter C1 in the organic matter combustion area A1 is controlled by adjusting the supply amount of this combustion air (oxygen). At that time, by supplying the combustion air at a high temperature, it is possible to suppress a sudden drop in the temperature of the organic matter combustion area A1 in the carbonization furnace due to the combustion air, and stable combustion management and temperature management are possible.

[0043] Furthermore, the heating space 13b is provided with steam supply pipes 36a, 36b (corresponding to a steam supply unit) for supplying steam. That is, high-temperature steam Wv is supplied to the inside of the heating space of the first air supply mechanism 13 through the steam supply pipes 36a, 36b. The steam supply pipes 36a, 36b are wound in a spiral shape inside the first air supply mechanism 13, and release steam from steam outlets 37a, 37b at the ends. It is desirable to supply high-temperature steam Wv heated to 160°C or higher by a boiler 45 or other heating device described later to the steam supply pipes 36a, 36b.

[0044] The steam supply pipes 36a and 36b wound in the first air supply mechanism 13 are made of a material with high thermal conductivity and are heat exchange pipes. The supplied steam is further heated in the high-temperature heating space 13b, and the steam in the steam supply pipes 36a and 36b becomes even hotter. The high-temperature steam discharged into the heating space 13b is supplied to the organic matter combustion area A1 together with the high-temperature combustion air through the through hole 25c and radiated to the organic matter C1. The steam supplied to the steam supply pipes 36a and 36b can also be heated, for example, by using high-temperature exhaust gas HEG. This makes it possible to turn the steam into higher-temperature superheated steam in the heating space 13b. The first air supply mechanism 13 is preferably provided with a first temperature sensor TS1 for measuring the temperature of the organic matter combustion area A1.

[0045] When the amount of combustion air supplied from the first air supply mechanism 13 to the carbonization furnace 20 increases, the amount of organic matter burned increases and the temperature of the organic matter combustion area A1 rises. It is desirable to maintain the organic matter combustion area A1 at as high a temperature as possible, but if the amount of combustion air is increased and the temperature is raised, the amount of organic matter burned increases, so the amount of carbonized matter generated for the organic matter input decreases and the carbonization rate decreases. Therefore, taking into account the carbonization rate, it is preferable to appropriately control the amount of combustion air supplied and the rotation speed of the heat storage body 30 so as to keep the temperature of the organic matter combustion area A1 at around 800°C. However, the system may be controlled to maintain a higher temperature depending on the operating conditions for the purpose of operating the system. The amount of combustion air supplied can be controlled by adjusting the air volume of a blower (not shown) or the like.

[0046] In addition, when high-temperature steam is radiated to the organic matter combustion area A1, the high-temperature superheated steam comes into direct contact with the uncarbonized organic matter C1, dramatically increasing the heat transfer efficiency of the high-temperature superheated steam, promoting the carbonization of the organic matter C1 and achieving the effect of significantly shortening the carbonization time and carbonization efficiency (high-temperature carbonization promotion effect). This high-temperature carbonization promotion effect makes it possible to more efficiently carbonize the organic matter C1 in the organic matter combustion area A1, and has made it possible to improve the carbonization rate of biomass by about 10 to 20% compared to conventional methods.

[0047] In addition to the conventional combustible gases generated by the combustion of biomass C1, carbon monoxide gas (CO) is generated by the reaction of hydrogen gas (H2), which is a reaction gas of superheated steam (H2O) and char, char (C), and oxygen (O). This carbon monoxide gas (CO) and hydrogen gas (H2) contribute to the combustion of flammable exhaust gas in the exhaust gas combustion area B1 of the carbonization furnace 20 described later, and can further increase the temperature of the exhaust gas combustion area B1. This not only makes it possible to increase the temperature of the exhaust gas and supply the large thermal energy of the exhaust gas to the gasification furnace, but also makes it possible to efficiently feed back surplus thermal energy to the carbonization furnace, such as by heating the steam to be input into the carbonization furnace to a higher temperature in advance.

[0048] According to the conventional technology, if the moisture content of the organic matter C1 to be fed into the carbonization furnace 20 is high, it takes time to burn and carbonize the organic matter C1, so the organic matter C1 as the raw material is dried until the moisture content is 20% or less before being fed into the carbonization furnace. In contrast, the carbonization furnace of the present invention is configured to directly irradiate high-temperature steam onto the organic matter C1 in the organic matter combustion region A1, which makes it possible to promote combustion and carbonization, and even if the moisture content of the organic matter C1 is about 40% to 50%, it is possible to feed the organic matter C1 into the carbonization furnace. This shortens the drying time, improves the total carbonization speed of the organic matter C1, and suppresses the thermal energy required for drying, making it possible to reduce the total cost.

[0049] In the organic matter combustion region A1, a part of the organic matter C1 is burned, and the remaining part is carbonized by high-temperature steam. The organic matter C1 that is not burned or carbonized in the organic matter combustion region A1, the carbonized charcoal C2, and the combustion ash are transported from the organic matter combustion region A1 to the carbonization region A2 below by the screw-shaped protrusions 32 as the heat storage body 30 rotates. The unburned organic matter C1 is carbonized by being exposed to a high-temperature environment and an oxygen-deficient environment by the heat storage body 30 in an oxygen-deficient environment, and is taken out from the char removal section 23 as charcoal C2.

[0050] As described above, by irradiating the organic matter C1 with high-temperature steam, the carbonization rate, carbonization speed, and carbonization quality of the organic matter can be improved. Furthermore, by burning the combustion gas generated by irradiating the organic matter with steam in the exhaust gas combustion area B1, high-temperature exhaust gas can be discharged, and this combustion also enables more complete combustion of the tar content in the exhaust gas. Therefore, it is possible to provide a high-quality, low-cost carbonization furnace, and by the synergistic effect with the efficient use of thermal energy of the exhaust gas in the gasification furnace in the later process described below, it is possible to provide an organic matter gasification system that can gasify organic matter with high quality and low cost.

[0051] When the organic matter is burned and carbonized in the organic matter combustion area A1 and the carbonization area A2, high-temperature combustible exhaust gas containing tar is generated. In addition, by emitting high-temperature steam in the organic matter combustion area A1, hydrogen gas (H2), which is a decomposition gas of superheated steam (H2O), reacts with carbonized matter (C) and oxygen (O), generating combustible carbon monoxide gas (CO). In the present invention, these combustible exhaust gases are burned to produce exhaust gas at a higher temperature (preferably a high temperature exceeding 1000°C), and then the thermal energy of the high-temperature exhaust gas is reused by supplying it to the gasification furnace. For this purpose, the combustible exhaust gas is burned in the exhaust gas combustion area B1 at the top of the carbonization furnace 20 to burn and decompose the tar, and the exhaust gas is discharged from the gas discharge section 24 as a higher-temperature exhaust gas HEG.

[0052] The discharged high-temperature exhaust gas HEG is delivered to the gasification furnace 50 via the pipe 17a and used as a heat source for the reactor. Since the high-temperature exhaust gas HEG reaches a temperature exceeding 1000°C, the pipe 17a for supplying the exhaust gas HEG is also heat-resistant. Negative pressure is applied to the pipe 17a, and the high-temperature exhaust gas HEG is sent from the carbonization furnace 20 to the gasification furnace 50. One or more valves (not shown) may be provided in the vicinity of the gas discharge part 24 of the pipe 17a or at other locations, and the flow of the exhaust gas may be controlled by controlling the operation of these valves.

[0053] In the carbonization furnace 20 shown in FIG. 1, a second air supply mechanism 14 having a structure similar to that of the first air supply mechanism 13 is provided in the outer region of the exhaust gas combustion region B1 in order to control the combustion of the combustible exhaust gas. FIG. 4 shows a cross-sectional view along the line FF in FIG. 1. In this figure, the screw-shaped protrusion 32 of the heat storage body 30 and the bottom shape inside the carbonization furnace are also omitted. As can be seen from FIG. 4, the second air supply mechanism 14 has a structure substantially similar to that of the first air supply mechanism 13, except that there is no mechanism for supplying water vapor. That is, in the second air supply mechanism 14, the second outer peripheral wall 14a surrounds the outer periphery of the outer frame body 21c at a portion corresponding to the position of the exhaust gas combustion region B1, and a heating space 14b is formed. Combustion air is supplied to this heating space 14b from the air supply port 25b. The second frame portion 21c surrounded by the second outer peripheral wall 14a has one or more through holes 25d penetrating into the exhaust gas combustion area B1 inside the carbonization furnace.

[0054] Patent Document 1 also discloses a configuration in which exhaust gas is burned in the upper part of the carbonization furnace by feeding combustion air to thermally decompose tar. However, the technology of Patent Document 1 and the present invention control the combustion of exhaust gas in a completely opposite manner. First, in Patent Document 1, when the temperature of the exhaust gas combustion area (exhaust gas temperature) falls below a certain temperature, the feeding of combustion air is stopped to prevent the temperature of the exhaust gas combustion area from dropping due to the low-temperature combustion air. In other words, the combustion of the combustible gas is temporarily stopped and the system waits until the temperature rises. Therefore, during the period when the supply of combustion air is stopped and combustion is stopped, the tar in the exhaust gas cannot be completely burned, and the exhaust gas is discharged with some tar remaining in it.

[0055] In contrast, in the carbonization furnace of the present invention shown in FIG. 1, when the temperature of the exhaust gas combustion region B1 drops below a certain temperature (below the first temperature), the temperature is increased by increasing the amount of combustion air input to promote combustion, contrary to Patent Document 1. That is, in the present invention, even if the temperature of the exhaust gas combustion region B1 drops, the combustion air heated by the second air supply mechanism 14 is supplied to promote the combustion of the combustible gas, and the temperature is increased by the combustion. Therefore, the exhaust gas is not discharged with the tar content of the combustible exhaust gas remaining. In this way, in the present invention, even if the temperature of the exhaust gas combustion region B1 may temporarily drop by supplying the combustion air, the temperature of the exhaust gas, etc. is increased by continuing to supply the combustion air to promote the combustion.

[0056] In the embodiment of the second air supply mechanism 14 of the present invention illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, the supplied combustion air is heated to a high temperature by the outer frame body 21 and then supplied to the exhaust gas combustion zone B1 through the multiple through holes 25c, so that even if the combustion air is supplied to the exhaust gas combustion zone B1, the temperature of the exhaust gas is unlikely to decrease. In the carbonization furnace shown in Figures 1 to 4, the first and second air supply units 25a, 25b are connected to the first and second air supply mechanisms 13, 14 to send combustion air to the heating spaces 13b, 14b. However, one or more first and second air supply units 25a, 25b may be directly connected to the outer frame 21 of the organic matter combustion area A1 and the exhaust gas combustion area B1 without providing the heating spaces 13b, 14b to send combustion air to the organic matter combustion area A1 and the exhaust gas combustion area B1. In this case, a heat exchanger similar to the heater 43 used in the gasification furnace 50 described later may be provided in the piping 17a of the exhaust gas HEG to heat the combustion air to a high temperature before supplying it to the exhaust gas combustion area B1. Also, although it is desirable to heat the combustion air and supply high-temperature combustion air, it is also possible to supply the combustion air directly to the combustion regions A1 and B1 without heating the combustion air in advance. <Carbonization furnace operation>

[0057] As described above, this specification shows an example of producing a carbonized material using wood biomass as a raw material, and the raw material wood biomass C1 is accommodated and dried in the drying chamber 11. From the viewpoints of improving drying efficiency, improving carbonization efficiency, and stably controlling the degree of carbonization and the carbonization rate in the carbonization furnace 20, it is preferable that the biomass C1 input into the carbonization furnace 20 is supplied to the drying chamber 11 in the form of wood chips C1 cut into a relatively small size, for example, 10 cm or less, preferably 5 cm or less, by a cutting device or the like.

[0058] Biomass C1 such as wood chips is dried in a drying chamber 11 before being fed into the carbonization furnace 20. It is preferably dried to a moisture content of 40% or less. Conventional carbonization furnaces require drying of wood chips to a moisture content of about 20%, but as described above, by emitting high-temperature steam, the carbonization furnace of the present invention makes it possible to feed organic matter C1 with a moisture content of about 40% into the furnace. As a drying means, for example, high-temperature exhaust gas HEG can be used as a heat source for a gasification furnace or the like, and then the organic matter can be efficiently dried by sending it into the drying chamber 11. The dried biomass C1 is fed into the carbonization furnace 20 using the feeding device 12.

[0059] At the start of operation of the carbonization furnace 20, a predetermined amount of organic matter C1 is first put in and the organic matter C1 in the organic matter combustion area A1 is ignited. Until the temperature of the organic matter combustion area A1 and the temperature of the heat storage body 30 reach about 800°C, the organic matter C1 is completely burned to raise the temperature of the organic matter combustion area A1, so that a large amount of air and an appropriate amount of organic matter C1 for complete combustion are sequentially supplied. When the temperature of the organic matter combustion area A1 of the carbonization furnace and the heat storage body 30 reach a desired temperature (preferably around 800°C) and stabilize, a part of the organic matter C1 is partially burned and the amount of air supplied is controlled so that the organic matter combustion area A1 of the carbonization furnace is stably maintained at the desired temperature. At the same time, water vapor is supplied to the heating space 13b of the first air supply mechanism 13. As a result, a part of the organic matter C1 is partially burned in the organic matter combustion area A1, and the remaining organic matter C1 and carbonized matter that are not burned in the organic matter combustion area A1 are transferred to the carbonization area A2 and carbonized there.

[0060] The organic matter C1 dropped from the organic matter inlet 22 of the carbonization furnace falls and accumulates on the upper part of the heat storage body 30 and on the protruding part 32 of the heat storage body 30. The organic matter C1 accumulated on the screw-shaped protruding part 32 is transferred to the lower side of the carbonization furnace 20 between the outer peripheral part 31 of the heat storage body 30 and the inner wall 21a of the outer frame body 21 by the rotation of the heat storage body 30. That is, by rotating the heat storage body 30, the organic matter C1 can be gradually moved from the organic matter combustion region A1 downward to the carbonization region A2 by the screw-shaped protruding part 32, and by controlling the rotation speed of the heat storage body 30, the residence time of the organic matter C1 in the organic matter combustion region A1 and the carbonization region A2 can be controlled by the rotation speed of the heat storage body 30.

[0061] In a conventional carbonization furnace with a heat storage body without protrusions, the combustion and carbonization process was controlled by controlling the temperature of the organic matter combustion area A1 and the input amount of the organic matter C1 according to the combustion state of the organic matter C1 accumulated in the carbonization furnace and the movement state of the organic matter C1 due to natural fall accompanying the removal of the carbonized material, so that the residence time of the organic matter C1 could not be accurately controlled, and uneasy control was forced. In contrast, in the present invention, by adopting the above-mentioned configuration, it has become possible to accurately control the vertical (height) movement speed of the organic matter C1 in the carbonization furnace. This makes it possible to adjust both the residence time and the amount of air in the organic matter combustion area A1, and enables accurate control of the temperature of the carbonization furnace, the carbonization speed of the organic matter C1, the carbonization quality, etc.

[0062] In this manner, the carbonized or carbonized carbide C2 and combustion ash, etc. are taken out from the carbide removal section 23 provided below the carbonization area A2 of the carbonization furnace 20. The carbide C2 taken out from the carbide removal section 23 is transferred to the gasification furnace 50 via the transport path 15a.

[0063] When the organic matter C1 in the organic matter combustion area A1 decreases due to combustion or the extraction of charcoal C2 from the charcoal extraction section 23, dried organic matter C1 is successively added and replenished from the organic matter input port 22. The input amount of dried organic matter C1 can be controlled by the input device 12, and can be automatically controlled according to the operating conditions, or manually controlled based on visual information.

[0064] As described above, the combustible gas generated by combustion or the like is combusted in the exhaust gas combustion area B1 and discharged from the gas discharge section 24 as high-temperature exhaust gas HEG (preferably at a high temperature exceeding 1000° C.).

[0065] In the present invention, a second temperature sensor TS2 is provided near the through hole 25c, and when the temperature detected by the second temperature sensor TS2 falls below a desired constant temperature, the amount of air supplied from the second air supply unit 25b is increased to increase the amount of air introduced into the exhaust gas combustion area B1 from the through hole 25c. This promotes the combustion of the combustible exhaust gas in the exhaust gas combustion area B1, burns the tar content, and controls to raise the temperature of the exhaust gas discharged from the carbonization furnace. As a result, the tar content contained in the combustible gas is completely pyrolyzed at a high temperature in the exhaust gas combustion area B1, and is discharged as high-temperature exhaust gas HEG that does not contain tar content. The exhaust gas HEG is preferably at a high temperature of 1000°C or higher. The high-temperature exhaust gas HEG discharged from the gas discharge unit 24 is delivered to the gasification furnace 50 via the pipe 17a. Since the high-temperature exhaust gas HEG reaches a high temperature exceeding 1000°C, the pipe 17a that supplies the exhaust gas HEG is also heat-resistant.

[0066] The charcoal C2 taken out from the charcoal removal section 23 of the carbonization furnace 20 is sent to the gasification furnace 50 via the transport path 15a. Note that, in Fig. 1, the first and second air supply mechanisms 13 and 14 respectively include one each of the first and second air supply sections 25a and 25b and the first and second temperature sensors TS1 and TS2, but may include a plurality of each as shown in Fig. 2.

[0067] <Gasification furnace> Returning to Fig. 1, the gasification furnace 50 will be described. The carbide C2 removed from the carbonization furnace 20 is fed into the gasification furnace 50 together with a gasifying agent, and hydrogen and other gases (hereinafter referred to as generated gases) are generated.

[0068] FIG. 1 shows an example in which the gasification furnace 50 includes two cylindrical gasification units 51a and 51b. When there is one gasification unit, the single gasification unit itself serves as the gasification furnace. The number of gasification units constituting the gasification furnace may be one, two, or three or more. Each gasification unit 51a and 51b has a cylindrical main body portion 52a and 52b having a cylindrical internal space 55a and 55b, respectively, and includes heating portions 56a and 56b that penetrate the inside of the cylindrical internal space 55a and 55b in the length direction. The internal spaces 55a and 55b surrounding the heating portions 56a and 56b of the gasification units 51a and 51b serve as a reactor or reaction portion (hereinafter referred to as the "internal space 55a and 55b" or the "reaction portion 55a and 55b" as appropriate).

[0069] The heating parts 56a, 56b are provided with flow paths 57a, 57b through which gas can pass, and the reaction parts 55a, 55b are heated by radiant heat and contact heat by flowing high-temperature exhaust gas HEG through the flow paths 57a, 57b. In the example shown in Fig. 1, high-temperature exhaust gas HEG sent through the pipe 17a is supplied to the flow paths 57a, 57b of the heating parts 56a, 56b, but the high-temperature gas supplied to the heating parts 56a, 56b is not limited to high-temperature exhaust gas HEG, and high-temperature gas or steam generated by other methods can also be used.

[0070] The heating parts 56a, 56b penetrate the inside of the cylindrical main body parts 52a, 52b of the gasification units 51a, 51b, so that the heating parts 56a, 56b are surrounded by the cylindrical reaction parts 55a, 55b. The gasification units 51a, 51b are provided with a raw material supply part 40 on the upstream side (upper side in FIG. 1) that supplies the raw material carbide and gasifying agent. In the example shown in FIG. 1, the raw material supply part 40 is composed of a carbide supply part 41, a pulverization part 42, and an injection supply part. The carbide supply part 41 stores the carbide C2, and supplies the carbide C2 to the pulverization part 42 in a droplet amount required for the gasification reaction based on the control of the control part (see FIG. 6).

[0071] When the carbide C2 is supplied from the carbide supply section 41 to the pulverizing section 42, the carbide C2 is pulverized to 300 μm or less, preferably 100 μm or less, and more preferably 50 μm or less in order to promote the gasification reaction. The carbide C3 pulverized and pulverized in the pulverizing section 42 is injected into each reaction section 55a, 55b from the injection input sections 53a, 53b of each gasification unit 51a, 51b together with high-temperature steam Hva, Hvb used as a gasifying agent.

[0072] The high-temperature steam Hva, Hvb used as the gasifying agent is preferably heated to a high temperature and mixed with the carbide C3 in the form of superheated steam in order to prevent the temperature of the reactor from decreasing as much as possible. The steam Hva, Hvb can be made into high-temperature superheated steam Hva, Hvb by heating the steam Wv at about 160°C generated in the boiler 45 described later by the heater 43 provided in the middle of the piping 17a of the high-temperature exhaust gas HEG. The high-temperature superheated steam Hva, Hvb is introduced into the reaction sections 55a, 55b of the separate gasification units 51a, 51b, respectively, together with the carbide C3 as the gasifying agent. The high-temperature superheated steam Hva, Hvb is preferably brought to as high a temperature as possible, for example, close to a high temperature in the range of 900°C to 1300°C, in order to prevent the temperature of the reaction section from decreasing.

[0073] The finely divided carbide C3 and the superheated steam Hva, Hvb as the gasifying agent are injected from the injection injection parts 53a, 53b into the respective reaction parts 55a, 55b. At this time, it is preferable to inject and inject the carbide C3 and the high-temperature gasifying agent from the injection injection parts 53a, 53b so that they move slowly in the downstream direction in the reaction furnace while rotating around the heating parts 56a, 56b in the reaction parts 55a, 55b.

[0074] 1 shows an example in which one injection input part 53a, 53b is provided for each of the gasification units 51a, 51b, but each gasification unit may be configured to have a plurality of injection input parts 53a, 53b. This allows the raw material to be input from a plurality of positions to each of the reaction parts 55a, 55b, so that the carbide C3 and the gasifying agent can be injected from a number of angles to the heating part, making it possible to use the heat of the heating part more uniformly for the gasification reaction, and thus enabling an efficient gasification reaction.

[0075] 1, biomass is used as the raw material, and therefore the above-mentioned configuration example is shown for the raw material supply unit 40, but in the case of organic matter such as waste plastic, the plastic can be vaporized at high temperature and the vaporized high-temperature plastic can be injected from the raw material supply unit 40 into the reaction units 55a and 55b. The high-temperature exhaust gas HEG from the carbonization furnace can be used as the thermal energy for vaporizing the plastics and the like.

[0076] When two or more gasification units 51a, 51b are provided, a connecting part 58 is provided at a position opposite the raw material supply part 40 (lower side in FIG. 1), which is the downstream side of the gasification units, and the reaction parts 55a, 55b of each gasification unit 51a, 51b are connected to each other by this connecting part 58. The connecting part 58 is provided with a generated gas extraction pipe 60 extending upward, and the generated gas is extracted from a gas extraction port 61 provided at the upper part of the pipe. An outlet for discharging the residue D is provided below the connecting part 58.

[0077] By providing such a produced gas extraction pipe 60, residuals such as heavy ash cannot rise up the produced gas extraction pipe 60 and fall downward, making it possible to extract produced gas GS without any distribution from the upper side. Even when there is only one gasification unit, it is preferable to provide a produced gas extraction pipe 60 extending upward from the downstream side of the reaction section of one gasification unit as in Fig. 1, and to provide a gas outlet 61 at the top of the produced gas extraction pipe 60 so that produced gas can be extracted from above the produced gas extraction pipe 60. However, such a produced gas pipe is not essential, and a configuration may be used in which produced gas is extracted from the joint 58 downstream of the reaction sections 55a, 55b without providing the produced gas extraction pipe 60.

[0078] A negative pressure is applied to the produced gas extraction pipe 60 from the gas outlet 61, and the produced gas GS is sucked and moves from inside the reaction sections 55a, 55b through the produced gas extraction pipe 60 toward the gas outlet 61. Impurities and ash are heavy and drop below the reaction furnace and the joint 58, and are discharged from below the joint 58 as residue D. The produced gas GS is extracted from the gas outlet 61, passes through various filters and a cooling device, etc., and is stored in a gas tank 65.

[0079] High-temperature exhaust gas HEG extracted from the carbonization furnace 20 is supplied as a heat source to the heating parts 56a, 56b of each gasification unit 51a, 51b of the gasification furnace 50 through heat-resistant piping 17a. Since the heating parts 56a, 56b penetrate the reaction parts 55a, 55b, radiant heat from the heating parts 56a, 56b is radiated in all directions to the reaction parts 55a, 55b.

[0080] In FIG. 1, the heating parts 56a and 56b of the gasification furnace 50 are each configured with one pipe, but each of the heating parts 56a and 56b can be configured with multiple pipes penetrating through each of the reaction parts 55a and 55b. This makes it possible to more efficiently transfer the thermal energy of the high-temperature exhaust gas HEG to the raw materials (fine carbide C3 and superheated steam) of the reaction parts 55a and 55b. In addition, in FIG. 1, a configuration having one set of carbide supply part 41 and pulverization part 42 for two gasification units 51a and 51b is shown, but one set each for each gasification unit 51a and 51b (two sets in total in FIG. 1, three sets when there are three gasification units) may be provided.

[0081] The exhaust gas HEG that has passed through the heating sections 56a and 56b of the gasification furnace 50 is then sent to the boiler 45 and used as a heat source for the boiler to generate saturated steam Wv at about 160°C. In the carbonization furnaces according to the second to fourth embodiments shown in Figs. 3 to 5, the saturated steam Wv generated by the boiler 45 is also sent to the steam supply pipes 35a to 35b or the steam chamber 35. The saturated steam Wv is further heated to a high temperature when passing through the exhaust gas combustion region B1 of the carbonization furnace via the first air supply mechanism 13 or the steam chamber 35 and the steam supply pipes 36c to 36f, becoming high-temperature superheated steam, which is injected into the biomass (organic matter) C1 in the organic matter combustion region A1.

[0082] <Gasification furnace operation> The charcoal C2 taken out from the charcoal removal section 23 of the carbonization furnace 20 is sent to the charcoal supply section 41 via the transport path 15a. The charcoal stored in the charcoal supply section 41 is supplied to the crushing section 42 in an amount required for gasification, and is pulverized into charcoal C3. The pulverized charcoal C3 and high-temperature superheated steam Hva, Hvb, which is a gasifying agent, are injected and input into the reaction sections 55a, 55b of the gasification units 51a, 51b by the injection input sections 53a, 53b. High-temperature exhaust gas HEG at 1000°C to 1300°C flows through the flow paths 57a and 57b of the heating parts 56a and 56b, and since the heating parts 56a and 56b penetrate the reaction parts 55a and 55b, a large amount of thermal energy is supplied to the reaction furnace by the radiant heat and contact of the heating parts 56a and 56b. This allows the thermal energy of the exhaust gas HEG to be efficiently taken into the reaction furnace.

[0083] In biomass power generation systems, hydrogen gas and carbon monoxide gas are usually generated and used as fuel. For this reason, an example is shown in which high-temperature steam is used as a gasification agent, but the gasification agent used can be appropriately selected depending on the type of gas to be generated.

[0084] As described above, it is desirable to inject the finely divided carbide C3 into each reaction section 55a, 55b, which has an atmosphere in which the finely divided carbide C3 is mixed with high-temperature water vapor Hva, Hvb, by providing an injection nozzle at the injection injection section 53a, 53b of each gasification unit 51a, 51b, so that the mixture moves around the heating tubes 54a, 54b and downstream as slowly as possible within the reaction tube.

[0085] The generated gas GS generated by the gasification reaction of the carbide C3 in the gasification furnace 50 passes through a gas recovery line 15b, is cooled through a number of filters and cooling devices (none of which are shown) to remove impurities, and is stored in a gas tank 65. Known heat recovery devices, cooling devices, and filters for lowering the temperature of the generated gas can be used. The produced gas (water gas, etc.) GS stored in the gas tank 65 can be used, for example, as energy to drive a generator 67, or can be supplied to an ethanol production device to produce ethanol, separate hydrogen gas, generate electricity in a fuel cell, or otherwise be converted into energy.

[0086] The high-temperature flue gas HEG that has passed through the flow paths 57a, 57b of the heating parts 56a, 56b of the gasifier 50 undergoes thermal energy recovery in the boiler 45 and a heat exchanger (not shown) and becomes a relatively low-temperature flue gas LEG. A part of this flue gas LEG is sent to the drying chamber 11 via the pipe 18 and used for drying the biomass. The remaining flue gas LEG is passed through a number of filters and a cooling device 46, etc., and treated so that the temperature and amount of impurities meet predetermined emission standards, and then released to the outside.

[0087] <Second embodiment of carbonization furnace> FIG. 5 shows a second embodiment of the carbonization furnace of the present invention. The carbonization furnace 20a according to the second embodiment is different from the carbonization furnaces shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 in that the carbonization furnace 20a has a structure in which superheated steam is radiated to the biomass C1 in the combustion area A1 by steam supply pipes 36c and 36d extending downward from the upper part of the carbonization furnace 20a. In the carbonization furnace 20a according to the second embodiment, high-temperature superheated steam is generated in a steam chamber 35 provided at the upper part of the exhaust gas combustion area B1. Since the exhaust gas combustion area B1 is a heat source of high-temperature exhaust gas HEG, it is possible to generate superheated steam at a higher temperature than in the embodiment of FIGS. 1 to 4. In addition, when the steam is transported to the organic matter combustion area A1 through the steam supply pipes 36c and 36d, it is further heated to become superheated steam at approximately 1000° C., and is radiated to the organic matter C1 in the organic matter combustion area A1.

[0088] In addition, from the viewpoint of suppressing the temperature drop of the exhaust gas combustion area B1 of the carbonization furnace 20a as described above, it is preferable to supply saturated steam Wv at a temperature of about 160°C from the boiler 45 (FIG. 1) to the steam chamber 35 and further heat the saturated steam Wv in the steam chamber 35 to generate superheated steam. However, it is also possible to generate steam by directly supplying water to the steam chamber 35. In addition, it is preferable that the bottom surface of the steam chamber 35 is formed of a material with high thermal conductivity. The high-temperature superheated steam is radiated to the organic matter C1 in the organic matter combustion area A1. In this way, the organic matter C1 is directly irradiated with high-temperature superheated steam at about 1000°C, thereby obtaining a high-temperature carbonization promotion effect and improving the carbonization efficiency.

[0089] <Third embodiment of carbonization furnace> FIG. 6 shows a third embodiment of the carbonization furnace. The difference between the carbonization furnace 20c according to the third embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 6 and the carbonization furnace 20b according to the second embodiment shown in FIG. 5 is that in the carbonization furnace 20c according to the third embodiment, the steam supply pipes 36e and 36f that supply high-temperature superheated steam from the steam chamber 35 to the organic matter combustion area A1 are spirally piped along the inner wall 21a of the carbonization furnace. By configuring the carbonization furnace 20c to pass through the exhaust gas combustion area B1 in this way, the heating efficiency of the steam passing through the steam supply pipes is increased, and superheated steam at a higher temperature can be generated. With this configuration, it is possible to shorten the heating time in the steam chamber 35 and to further heat the superheated steam released in the organic matter combustion area A1 to a higher temperature, thereby further enhancing the high-temperature carbonization promotion effect.

[0090] FIG. 7 is a functional block diagram showing an example of the basic configuration of the control system of the carbonization furnace 20, 20a, 20b, the gasification furnace 50, and the organic matter gasification system 10 (biomass power generation system) shown in FIGS. 1 to 6. The outline of the control of each part will be briefly described with reference to FIG. 6. Each part designated by 71 to 77 exemplifies a passive device such as a sensor or an active device such as a valve provided in the carbonization furnace or gasification furnace shown in FIGS. 1 to 5. For example, the temperature sensors and pressure sensors provided in multiple units correspond to passive devices, and the valves, various motors, operation units, transport paths, etc. correspond to active devices. The control unit 80 acquires various information and control data from the sensors, operation units, etc. of these devices and the operating unit group 71 to 77, and controls the movements of the carbonization furnace, gasification furnace, transport path, etc.

[0091] In Figure 7, examples of devices that acquire control information and devices that are to be controlled include a display / operation unit 71, various sensors 72, a carbonization furnace operation unit 73, a gasification furnace operation unit 74, a transport-related operation unit 75, a power generation-related operation unit 76, and other operation units 77. The display / operation unit 71 includes a display unit that monitors the operating status of the carbonization furnace, the operating status of the gasification furnace, and the status of the gas tank, the generator, etc., and an operation unit that is operated manually. The various sensors 72 include, for example, a temperature sensor and a pressure sensor, and the carbonization furnace operation unit 73 includes an organic matter input unit, a motor that rotates and drives the heat storage body, a blower that supplies the first and second air, and a carbonized material removal unit for removing the carbonized material. The gasification furnace operation unit 74 includes a nozzle that sprays finely divided carbonized material and gasifying agent, and the transport-related operation unit 75 includes a screw conveyor that transports biomass, carbonized material, residual material, and the like. The power generation-related operation unit 76 includes an engine, a generator, a power control device, and the like, and the other operation units 77 include valves and boilers that adjust the passage and pressure of exhaust gas, generated gas, air, steam, and the like.

[0092] The control unit 80 is composed of a CPU, memory, recording medium, basic control software, etc., and an existing server or computer can be used. It is equipped with a carbonization furnace control unit 81, a gasification furnace control unit 82, a transport control unit 83, a power generation control unit 84, and other control units 85, which are control software for each module that controls the carbonization furnace, gasification furnace, generator, transport path, etc., which are basic components of the biomass power generation system, and controls each drive unit of the module in charge based on information obtained from various sensors and instructions from the operation unit.

[0093] The instruction data from the display / operation unit 71 and the data from the various sensors 72 are transmitted as control data to the control unit 80 via the interface 78. The control unit 80 passes the acquired data to the corresponding control units 81-85, and each of the control units 81-85 determines whether or not control of each operating unit is necessary based on the received control data. If a control operation is necessary, a control signal is transmitted to the corresponding display / operation unit 71 and operating units 73-77 via the control unit 80 and the interface 78 to control the operation of each unit. The corresponding display / operation unit 71 and operating units 73-77 perform a predetermined operation based on the received control signal.

[0094] The software modules and individual operation programs shown in FIG. 7 are examples, and are not limited to the software and programs exemplified here. The carbonization furnace control unit 81 is a control program that controls each part of the carbonization furnace, and controls the operation of the carbonization furnace based on individual operation programs such as biomass supply management 86, temperature management 87, heat storage body rotation drive control 88, and carbonized material / exhaust gas management 89. The gasification furnace control unit 82 is a control program that controls each part of the gasification furnace, and controls the operation of the gasification furnace based on individual programs such as raw material supply management 90, temperature management 91, and generated gas management 92. In addition, as shown as block 97 in FIG. 7, a control program 97 that controls the supply of high-temperature steam (preferably superheated steam) is also provided, and the supply of high-temperature steam is controlled so that carbonization can be promoted with high efficiency in the organic matter combustion area A1.

[0095] The transport control unit 83 controls the supply, movement, removal, etc. of raw materials, products, and waste materials within the biomass power generation system. For example, it controls the operation of each transport motor and valve based on programs such as motor / valve management 94, and performs temperature management of carbonized materials, exhaust gas, gasification agents (high-temperature steam, etc.), generated gas, waste material movement, and various types of steam, etc. based on programs such as temperature management 93. The power generation control unit 84 manages and controls the supply of gas for power generation and the output power based on a power management 95 program, and other control units 85 issue warnings of abnormal conditions and perform other necessary management and control, etc.

[0096] The control at the start of operation and the control during stable operation are significantly different for the carbonization furnace 20, the gasification furnace 50, and the generator 67. At the start of operation, organic matter C1 dried in a drying oven is fed into the carbonization furnace 20, and the organic matter C1 is burned in the organic matter combustion area A1 until the first temperature sensor TS1 reaches a predetermined temperature. When the organic matter C1 is fed and the temperature rises, reaches a predetermined temperature, and stabilizes, the furnace is in a state where it can operate normally, and the charred matter and combustion residues from the initial operation are removed from the charred matter removal section 23, and control shifts to normal operation.

[0097] In normal operation, first, various basic data are set for the input amount of organic matter C1 per unit time, the rotation speed of the heat storage body, the supply amount of combustion air supplied from the first and second air supply mechanisms 13, 14, and the input amount of high-temperature steam supplied from the first air supply mechanism 13, according to the amount of carbonized material generated that is set by the operation unit based on the operation target. Based on these basic data, the organic matter C1 as the raw material is input, the heat storage body is rotated at a predetermined rotation speed, a predetermined amount of combustion air is supplied to the organic matter combustion region A1 and the exhaust gas combustion region B1, and a predetermined amount of steam at a predetermined temperature is supplied to the organic matter combustion region A1, and normal operation is started.

[0098] In normal operation, the carbonization furnace control unit 81 and the carbonization furnace control unit adjust the amount of combustion air and water vapor supplied from the first air supply mechanism 13 based on the first temperature sensor TS1 to enable the carbonization furnaces 20, 20a, 20b to produce carbonized material at a set rate, thereby controlling the temperature and carbonization environment of the organic matter combustion area A1, and also controlling the amount of organic matter C1 to be input and the rotation speed of the heat storage body 30. Also, the amount of combustion air sent from the second air supply mechanism 14 is adjusted to control the combustion of the combustible gas and control the temperature of the exhaust gas HEG so that the temperature of the exhaust gas HEG is equal to or higher than a predetermined temperature.

[0099] 8 shows a flow chart showing an example of the procedure for controlling the temperature of the exhaust gas according to the present invention. The control unit 80 and the carbonization furnace control unit 81 periodically acquire information from the second temperature sensor TS2 provided in the exhaust gas combustion region B1 to monitor the temperature of the exhaust gas (step S1). Next, it is confirmed whether the temperature detected by the second temperature sensor TS2 is equal to or lower than the first exhaust gas temperature (step S2). The first exhaust gas temperature can be set arbitrarily to a temperature such as 800°C or 1000°C, but is set as the minimum temperature for the temperature of the high-temperature exhaust gas HEG provided to the gasification furnace 50.

[0100] When the temperature detected by the second temperature sensor TS2 is lower than the preset first exhaust gas temperature (step S2; Yes), the amount of air supplied from the second air supply unit is increased (step S3), which promotes the combustion of the exhaust gas and increases the temperature of the exhaust gas.

[0101] If the temperature detected by the second temperature sensor TS2 is higher than the preset first exhaust gas temperature (step S2; No), it is confirmed whether the temperature detected by the second temperature sensor TS2 is higher than the preset second exhaust gas temperature (step S4). If it is lower than the second exhaust gas temperature (step S4: No), the amount of air supplied is not changed and the temperature check by the second temperature sensor is repeated. If the detected temperature is higher than the second exhaust gas temperature (step S4: Yes), the supply of air from the second air supply mechanism 14 is reduced (step S5). This suppresses the combustion of the combustible exhaust gas and slightly reduces the temperature of the exhaust gas HEG.

[0102] In addition, a configuration may be adopted in which a temperature sensor is provided in the gasification units 51a, 51b, and the combustion in the exhaust gas combustion region B1 of the carbonization furnace is adjusted based on the internal temperatures of the reaction sections 55a, 55b of the gasification units to control the temperature of the exhaust gas HEG discharged from the carbonization furnace. The control of the gasification furnace, such as the amount and timing of feeding the finely divided char C3 and gasifying agent (superheated steam) to the gasification furnace, is performed by the gasification furnace control section 82, and the supply of char, etc. is controlled according to the set production volume of the generated gas.

[0103] In addition, waste plastics and other industrial products or organic matter generated from their manufacturing process are vaporized using the high heat of the high-temperature exhaust gas HEG discharged from the carbonization furnace of the present invention, and then injected into the gasification unit. It is preferable to provide an inlet to the gasification unit separate from the injection and input parts 53a and 53b for the finely divided carbonized material C3. This makes it possible to efficiently gasify waste plastics and other materials.

[0104] As is clear from the above explanation, according to the carbonization furnace of the present invention, the movement of organic matter (biomass C1, etc.) in the carbonization furnace can be controlled by the protrusions provided on the heat storage body in the carbonization furnace, thereby making it possible to stably produce carbonized material. In addition, even if the temperature of the exhaust gas temporarily drops, the supply of combustion air is controlled to promote the combustion of the combustible exhaust gas, so that the tar components in the exhaust gas can be burned at a temperature of 900°C or higher in the carbonization furnace to become gas components that do not recombine, and can be used as thermal energy. Furthermore, by heating and supplying the air for exhaust gas combustion, it is possible to output the temperature of the exhaust gas discharged from the carbonization furnace at a more stable and high temperature.

[0105] Furthermore, by using the gas flow passage penetrating the inside of the gasification unit as a heating section and providing a reaction section surrounding the heating section, it is possible to efficiently utilize the thermal energy of the high-temperature exhaust gas and perform the gasification reaction more efficiently. By combining multiple such small gasification units with high gasification efficiency, it is possible to provide a variety of gasification furnaces of different sizes according to the amount of biomass generated.

[0106] By combining a carbonization furnace with high carbonization efficiency and the ability to precisely control the carbonization speed, and a small gasification furnace that can be flexibly combined to match the desired output, it will be possible to build an efficient organic matter gasification system suited to regional characteristics. This will enable the conversion of hydrogen gas and carbon monoxide gas generated from organic matter into combustible gases or energy fuels such as ethanol, making it possible to build a biomass power generation system that can generate electricity efficiently.

[0107] 1, 4 and 5, a screw-shaped protrusion 32 is shown as an example of a protrusion protruding from the outer circumferential surface of the heat storage body 30. However, the shape of the protrusion is not limited to this. In addition, in order to improve heat resistance, it is preferable to form the protrusion 32 using a heat-resistant material and further perform processing to further improve heat resistance and heat storage, such as plasma welding ceramics or the like.

[0108] The embodiments disclosed in the specification and drawings are merely examples and can be modified as appropriate in accordance with the spirit of the present invention. For example, the shape and size of the protruding portion of the heat storage body, and the shape and positional relationship of the heating section and reaction section of the gasification furnace are not limited to the disclosed embodiments and can be modified as appropriate in accordance with the technical concept of the present invention, and such embodiments are also included in the technical scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0109] 10. Organic matter gasification system 11 Drying room 12 Feeding device 13 First air supply mechanism 13a First outer wall 13b, 14b heating space 14 Second air supply mechanism 14a Second outer wall 20,20b,20c carbonization furnace 21 Outer frame (main body) 21b 1st frame body part 21c 2nd frame body part 22 Organic matter inlet 23 Carbide outlet 24 Gas exhaust section 25a, first air supply port 25b, second air supply port 25c, 25d Air outlet 30 Heat storage body 32 Protrusion 36a~36f Steam supply 37a~37f Steam outlet 40 Carbide Supply Section 41 Carbide container 42 Crusher 43 Heater 45 Boiler 50 Gasifier 51a, 51b Gasification unit 52a, 52b Cylindrical main body 53a,53b Injection injection part 55a, 55b Reaction section 56a,56b Heating part 57a, 57b Flow path 60 Produced gas extraction pipe 61 Gas outlet 65 Gas Tank 67 Generator A1 Organic Combustion Area A2 Carbonized area B1 Exhaust gas combustion region C1 Biomass C2 Carbide C3 Refined carbides HEG High Temperature Exhaust Gas Wv Saturated water vapor Hva, Hvb superheated steam ELC Electric

Claims

1. A gasification system for organic matter, comprising: a carbonization furnace that generates a carbonized material by inputting organic matter; a gasification furnace having a cylindrical reaction furnace into which the carbonized material generated in the carbonization furnace and a gasification agent are inputted, and a heating section that heats the reaction furnace, and which gasifies the inputted carbonized material, The carbonization furnace is an organic matter combustion region for supplying oxygen to an upper portion of the accumulated organic matter to combust a portion of the organic matter and maintain the temperature of the carbonization furnace at a high temperature; a carbonization zone provided below the organic matter combustion zone and carbonizing the organic matter; a first frame portion formed of a heat-resistant and thermally conductive material and having at least one through hole surrounding the outside of the organic matter combustion region constituting a part of the outer frame of the carbonization furnace, and a first outer peripheral wall surrounding the outer periphery of the first frame portion with a small gap therebetween, forming a heating space in contact with the outer periphery of the first frame portion, and a first air supply mechanism that supplies air to the heating space and supplies combustion air to the organic matter combustion region from the through hole; a water vapor supply unit that passes high-temperature water vapor through the heating space and / or through a water vapor supply pipe from the upper part of the organic matter combustion area to the organic matter combustion area, and further heats the water vapor with thermal energy from the organic matter combustion area to produce high-temperature superheated water vapor at or above a temperature at which the organic matter is carbonized at a high temperature, and supplies the superheated water vapor to the organic matter in the organic matter combustion area; The gasification furnace is provided with a tubular heating section that penetrates the inside of the cylindrical reaction furnace in the longitudinal direction, and the reaction furnace is heated by passing high-temperature exhaust gas discharged from the carbonization furnace through the inside of the tubular heating section.

1. A system for gasifying organic matter comprising:

2. The first frame portion heats the combustion air introduced into the heating space and supplies the high-temperature combustion air to the organic matter combustion region through the through hole, The organic matter gasification system according to claim 1, characterized in that the water vapor supply unit injects water vapor into the heating space of the first air supply mechanism to further heat it, and supplies the high-temperature superheated water vapor to the organic matter by injecting the heated high-temperature superheated water vapor together with the combustion air into the organic matter combustion area through the through hole.

3. The organic matter gasification system according to claim 2, characterized in that the water vapor supply unit includes a tubular body having good thermal conductivity that is arranged in the heating space, and the supplied water vapor is heated as it passes through the inside of the tubular body and is then introduced into the heating space.

4. The carbonization furnace further includes an exhaust gas combustion zone provided above the organic matter combustion zone for combusting combustible gas generated in the organic matter combustion zone, a second air supply mechanism for supplying combustion air to the exhaust gas combustion zone, and an exhaust gas exhaust section for discharging high-temperature exhaust gas remaining after the combustible gas is combusted in the exhaust gas combustion zone, The gasification furnace heats the reaction furnace by passing high-temperature exhaust gas discharged from the exhaust gas discharge section of the carbonization furnace through the inside of the tubular heating section.

4. The organic matter gasification system according to claim 1, wherein the organic matter gasification system comprises:

5. The control unit further includes:

5. The organic matter gasification system according to claim 4, characterized in that when the temperature of the exhaust gas combustion area is lower than a predetermined first temperature, the amount of combustion air supplied by the second air supply mechanism is increased, and when the temperature of the exhaust gas combustion area is higher than a predetermined second temperature, the amount of combustion air supplied by the second air supply mechanism is controlled to decrease.

6. The carbonization furnace further comprises: an exhaust gas combustion area provided above the organic matter combustion area for combusting flammable gas generated in the organic matter combustion area; a second air supply mechanism for supplying combustion air to the exhaust gas combustion region; an exhaust gas exhaust section that exhausts high-temperature exhaust gas after the combustible gas is combusted in the exhaust gas combustion region; the water vapor supply unit includes a steam chamber provided above the exhaust gas combustion area to generate water vapor, and a water vapor supply pipe that transports the water vapor from the steam chamber through the exhaust gas combustion area to the organic matter combustion area while heating the water vapor; The organic matter gasification system according to claim 1, further comprising:

7. 7. The gasification system for organic matter according to claim 1, wherein the high-temperature superheated steam of 800° C. or more is supplied to the organic matter to cause a reaction.

8. The organic matter gasification system according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the heating section of the gasification furnace has a plurality of projections and recesses on the surface of the outer and / or inner wall of the heating section, which increases the contact area with the reactor.

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