Biomass treatment apparatus and biomass treatment method

Abstract

To provide a biomass treatment apparatus capable of improving fermentation efficiency by a simple apparatus configuration or treatment process.SOLUTION: A biomass treatment apparatus 1A is configured to continuously execute microbial reactions to a matrix in the fed biomass within one reaction tank 5, wherein the reaction tank 5 is configured so that the biomass flows in one direction, a main feed port 11 of the biomass is arranged in an upstream end in the flow direction of the biomass in the reaction tank 5, and one or more additional feed ports 21 of the biomass are arranged in the downstream side of the main feed port 11 in the flow direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a biomass treatment apparatus and a biomass treatment method for continuously performing a reaction by microorganisms on a substrate in the input biomass in one reaction tank.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, for example, a methane fermentation technology that generates methane gas and the like by the action of microorganisms on biomass such as food waste has attracted attention. The recovered methane gas can be used for a variety of applications, including not only gas engine power generation but also fuel cells and automotive fuels.

[0003] Methane fermentation is a reaction in which microorganisms decompose organic matter into methane and carbon dioxide. In methane fermentation, since the growth rate of microorganisms is low, in order to maintain a high microorganism concentration, it is necessary to retain the substrate in the apparatus for 20 to 30 days, and a large reaction apparatus having a volume 20 to 30 times the daily processing amount is required.

[0004] As a reaction apparatus, there is a so-called plug flow (extrusion flow) type reaction apparatus as disclosed in Patent Document 1. The reaction apparatus according to Patent Document 1 includes, for example, a horizontal reaction tank configured such that organic waste flows in one direction, and the organic waste pushed in from an inlet provided at the upstream end in the flow direction of the reaction tank is pushed out toward an outlet provided at the downstream end in the flow direction of the reaction tank, ferments on the way to generate methane gas, and the generated methane gas is recovered.

[0005] As another reaction apparatus, Patent Document 2 discloses a methane fermentation treatment apparatus that uses a multi-stage tank method in which a methane fermentation tank is partitioned or separated into two or more, and injects organic waste and / or wastewater containing a large amount of organic matter that is difficult to ferment methane into the front stage of the fermentation tank, and injects organic waste and / or wastewater containing a large amount of organic matter that is easy to ferment methane separately from the front stage to the rear stage of the fermentation tank.

[0006] Furthermore, Patent Document 3 discloses an anaerobic digestion apparatus that uses an anaerobic treatment tank with two or more tanks arranged in multiple stages, in which the mixed liquid in each tank is separated into solid and liquid, the separated liquid is put into the next tank, and the concentrated sludge is returned to the original tank. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2019-84508 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2004-313929 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2000-246291 [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0008] In a reactor like the one disclosed in Patent Document 1, when the microbial concentration is kept high, the organic matter concentration near the inlet is high, and methane is actively produced. However, since the reactor is a plug-flow type, much of the organic matter has already been decomposed near the outlet, causing the organic matter concentration to decrease and the methane production rate to slow down. Therefore, it is conceivable to increase the methane production rate per unit volume of the reactor by supplying the highest possible organic matter concentration. However, since organic matter and microorganisms are supplied as solids, excessively high concentrations can cause viscosity, leading to problems such as increased mechanical strength and power requirements. On the other hand, excessively high concentrations of organic matter alone can lead to the production of organic acids that cannot be completely decomposed, resulting in a decrease in microbial activity due to a drop in pH, or so-called rancidity. Therefore, there are limits to how high the organic matter concentration can be at the inlet.

[0009] In methane fermentation treatment apparatuses such as the one disclosed in Patent Document 2, a multi-stage tank system is used, and organic waste and / or wastewater containing a large amount of organic matter that is difficult to ferment into methane is injected into the upstream stage of the fermentation tank, while organic waste and / or wastewater containing a large amount of organic matter that is easily fermented into methane is injected from the upstream stage to the downstream stage of the fermentation tank, resulting in a complex apparatus configuration.

[0010] In anaerobic digesters like the one disclosed in Patent Document 3, an anaerobic treatment tank is used that consists of two or more tanks arranged in multiple stages. After separating the solid-liquid mixture from each tank, the separated liquid is placed in the next tank, and the concentrated sludge is returned to the original tank. As such, the device configuration is also complex.

[0011] The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and aims to provide a biomass processing device and a biomass processing method that can improve fermentation efficiency with a simple device configuration or processing process. [Means for solving the problem]

[0012] The characteristic configuration of the biomass processing apparatus according to the present invention, which solves the above problems, is A biomass processing apparatus configured to carry out a continuous microbial reaction with a substrate in the biomass that is introduced, in a single reaction vessel, The reaction vessel is configured such that the biomass flows in one direction. The main biomass inlet is located at the upstream end in the flow direction of the biomass in the reaction tank. One or more additional biomass inlets are located downstream of the main inlet in the flow direction.

[0013] In this biomass processing apparatus, a reaction tank is configured so that biomass flows in one direction. Biomass is introduced into the reaction tank through a main inlet located at the upstream end in the direction of biomass flow, and additional biomass is introduced into the reaction tank through an additional inlet located downstream of the main inlet in the direction of biomass flow. The biomass pushed in from the main inlet is carried downstream of the main inlet in the direction of biomass flow, and the reaction (fermentation) by microorganisms on the substrate in the biomass proceeds. As the reaction progresses, or in other words, as the biomass flows downstream of the main inlet, the substrate is consumed and the substrate concentration decreases, causing the reaction rate to decrease. However, since biomass is introduced into the reaction tank through the additional inlet, the substrate concentration increases and the reaction rate increases. Thus, even if the reaction rate decreases due to substrate consumption, the reaction rate can be increased by adding substrate, and the overall fermentation efficiency can be improved. Moreover, these effects can be achieved with a simple apparatus configuration that places the additional inlet downstream of the main inlet in the direction of biomass flow.

[0014] In the biomass processing apparatus according to the present invention, It is preferable that the main inlet and the additional inlet are arranged such that the concentration of the substrate in the reaction vessel remains within a certain range.

[0015] With this biomass processing system, the substrate concentration in the reaction vessel stays within a certain range, allowing the substrate concentration to be maintained at an appropriate level. This prevents reaction inhibition while maintaining the reaction rate above a certain level, enabling the stable recovery of the reaction product (biogas).

[0016] In the biomass processing apparatus according to the present invention, It is preferable that a portion of the biomass is introduced into the reaction tank through the main inlet, and the remaining portion of the biomass is introduced into the reaction tank through the additional inlet.

[0017] According to the biomass treatment apparatus of this configuration, a part of the biomass to be treated is introduced into the reaction tank from the main inlet, and the remaining part of the biomass to be treated is introduced into the reaction tank from the additional inlet. As a result, there is no variation in the substrate between the properties of the biomass introduced into the reaction tank through the main inlet and the properties of the biomass introduced into the reaction tank through the additional inlet, and the reaction of microorganisms to the substrate in the biomass can proceed as planned.

[0018] In the biomass treatment apparatus according to the present invention, It is preferable that the reaction is a reaction involving methane fermentation.

[0019] According to the biomass treatment apparatus of this configuration, since the reaction of microorganisms to the substrate in the introduced biomass is a reaction involving methane fermentation, biogas containing methane gas can be recovered. And the recovered biogas can be used for a variety of applications, not only for gas engine power generation but also for fuel cells and fuels for automobiles.

[0020] The characteristic configuration of the biomass treatment method according to the present invention for solving the above problems is A biomass treatment method in which the reaction of microorganisms to the substrate in the introduced biomass is continuously carried out in one reaction tank, after introducing the main input biomass into the reaction tank, introducing the additional input biomass after a certain period of time has elapsed.

[0021] According to the biomass treatment method of this configuration, as the reaction (fermentation) by microorganisms on the substrate in the main input biomass introduced into the reaction tank proceeds, the substrate is consumed and the substrate concentration decreases, so the reaction rate decreases. However, after the main input biomass is introduced, the additional input biomass is introduced into the reaction tank after a certain period of time, so the substrate concentration increases and the reaction rate increases. Thus, even if the reaction rate once decreases due to the consumption of the substrate, the reaction rate can be increased by adding the substrate, and the fermentation efficiency can be improved as a whole. Moreover, such an effect can be achieved not only in a continuous treatment device but also in a so-called batch treatment device by a simple treatment process of introducing the additional input biomass into the reaction tank after a certain period of time after introducing the main input biomass into the reaction tank.

[0022] In the biomass treatment method according to the present invention, It is preferable to introduce the main input biomass and the additional input biomass into the reaction tank so that the concentration of the substrate in the reaction tank remains within a certain range.

[0023] According to the biomass treatment method of this configuration, since the concentration of the substrate in the reaction tank remains within a certain range, the substrate concentration can be maintained at an appropriate concentration. Thereby, while preventing reaction inhibition, the reaction rate can be maintained at a level above a certain level, and the reaction product can be stably recovered.

[0024] In the biomass treatment method according to the present invention, It is preferable to introduce the main input biomass as a part of the biomass into the reaction tank and introduce the additional input biomass as the remainder of the biomass into the reaction tank.

[0025] According to this biomass treatment method, a primary input biomass is introduced into the reaction tank as part of the biomass to be treated, and an additional input biomass is introduced into the reaction tank as the remainder of the biomass to be treated. This eliminates variations in the substrate properties between the primary input biomass and the additional input biomass introduced into the reaction tank, allowing the microbial reaction to the substrate in the biomass to proceed as planned.

[0026] In the biomass treatment method according to the present invention, The aforementioned reaction is preferably a reaction that involves methane fermentation.

[0027] According to this biomass processing method, the reaction by microorganisms on the substrate in the input biomass involves methane fermentation, thus enabling the recovery of biogas containing methane gas. The recovered biogas can then be used for a wide variety of applications, including not only gas engine power generation but also fuel cells and automobile fuel. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0028] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a biomass processing apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a graph showing the relationship between the longitudinal position of the reaction vessel and the substrate concentration in the biomass processing apparatus according to the first embodiment. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating a biomass processing apparatus according to the second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a graph showing the relationship between the longitudinal position of the reaction vessel and the substrate concentration in the biomass processing apparatus according to the second embodiment. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating a biomass processing apparatus according to the third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating a biomass processing apparatus according to a modified embodiment of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0029] The present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings. In this specification, biomass refers to organic resources of biological origin. Examples of biomass include organic waste, resource crops, or their waste. Examples of organic waste include food waste, human and animal waste, sewage sludge, food processing residues, and organic wastewater from the food industry, paper industry, livestock industry, etc., but are not particularly limited as long as they are waste containing organic matter. Examples of resource crops include corn, sugarcane, and waste generated in the processing of these crops. In this specification, biomass includes biomass from which foreign substances that do not contribute to fermentation have been removed. In this specification, biogas refers to gas generated by the fermentation (anaerobic fermentation) of biomass. Examples of biogas components include hydrogen gas, methane gas, and carbon dioxide gas. In the following embodiments, an example of processing food waste, which is organic waste, and mainly generating and recovering methane gas will be described. However, the present invention is not intended to be limited to the embodiments and drawings described below.

[0030] [First Embodiment] <Overall Structure> Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing a biomass processing apparatus 1A according to the first embodiment of the present invention. The biomass processing apparatus 1A shown in Figure 1 comprises a crusher 3 for sorting and crushing biomass (food waste), a mixer 4 for mixing the crushed biomass and fermentation residue, a reaction tank (fermentation tank) 5 for continuously carrying out microbial reactions on the substrate in the input biomass, and a dewatering machine 7 for carrying out a dewatering process.

[0031] <Reaction vessel> The reaction vessel 5 is formed in a horizontally elongated cylindrical shape and is a plug-flow (extrusion flow) type reaction vessel configured to flow in one direction (to the right in Figure 1) from one end to the other in the longitudinal direction. If necessary, stirring paddles may be placed inside the reaction vessel 5. Furthermore, the reaction vessel 5 is not limited to the horizontal type shown in this example, but may also be vertical.

[0032] <Main input port> The end wall at one longitudinal end of the reaction tank 5 is the upstream end in the direction of biomass flow within the reaction tank 5, and a main inlet 11 for introducing biomass (main input biomass, described later) is located at this end wall. The end wall at the other longitudinal end of the reaction tank 5 is the downstream end in the direction of biomass flow within the reaction tank 5, and an outlet 13 for discharging the fermentation residue after the biomass has fermented is located at this end wall.

[0033] <Additional input slot> An additional inlet 21 for adding biomass (additional biomass, described later) is located at a predetermined distance from one end to the other in the longitudinal direction of the reaction tank 5. Furthermore, a gas vent pipe 25 is attached to the top of the reaction tank 5 at an appropriate location to extract the biogas generated in the tank.

[0034] The main inlet 11 in reaction tank 5 is connected to mixer 4 via main supply pipe 31. Mixer 4 and crusher 3 are connected via feed pipe 33. The discharge port 13 in reaction tank 5 is connected to dewatering machine 7 via discharge pipe 35. Dewatering machine 7 and mixer 4 are connected via return pipe 37. The additional inlet 21 in reaction tank 5 is connected to feed pipe 33 via additional supply pipe 39.

[0035] When processing biomass using the biomass processing device 1A configured as described above, first, the crusher 3 separates and removes associated plastics that cannot be biologically processed from the biomass, and then crushes them to prevent blockage in the reaction tank 5. The separated and removed associated plastics are transported via the transport line 41 to a waste incinerator (not shown) and incinerated. Of the biomass crushed in the crusher 3, a portion is sent to the mixer 4 via the supply pipe 33, and the remainder is sent to the additional input port 21 via the additional supply pipe 39.

[0036] The mixer 4 receives the biomass that has been crushed in the crusher 3, and the solid portion of the fermentation residue discharged from the outlet 13 of the reaction tank 5, after being dewatered in the dewaterer 7, is sent in via the return pipe 37 as a source of microorganisms (methane bacteria) necessary for the continuation of fermentation. The mixer 4 mixes the biomass that has been crushed in the crusher 3 with the solid portion of the fermentation residue.

[0037] The biomass containing solid components of the fermentation residue mixed in the mixer 4 is sent to the reaction tank 5 via the main supply pipe 31 and is introduced into the reaction tank 5 as the main input biomass through the main inlet 11. Furthermore, the remaining biomass crushed by the crusher 3 is introduced into the reaction tank 5 as additional input biomass via the additional supply pipe 39 and the additional inlet 21. In the reaction tank 5, methane fermentation is carried out by microorganisms using organic matter such as carbohydrates, proteins, and lipids contained in the input biomass as a substrate. Methane fermentation generates biogas containing methane gas and carbon dioxide gas. The biogas generated in the reaction tank 5 is extracted and recovered through the vent pipe 25, and the recovered biogas is used for a wide variety of applications, including not only gas engine power generation but also fuel cells and automobile fuel.

[0038] Methane fermentation generally takes place at 25-65°C, preferably 30-40°C, and 50-60°C for thermophilic bacteria. Methane fermentation generally takes place on the alkaline side, with a pH of 5-10, preferably 7-9. If necessary, the pH may be adjusted by adding a pH adjusting agent.

[0039] The water removed during the dewatering process in the dewatering machine 7 is sent via the drain line 43 to a wastewater treatment facility (not shown) where it undergoes predetermined wastewater treatment.

[0040] Figure 2 is a graph showing the relationship between the longitudinal position of the reaction vessel 5 and the substrate concentration in the biomass processing apparatus 1A according to the first embodiment. In the graph of Figure 2, the vertical axis represents the substrate concentration, and the horizontal axis represents the longitudinal position of the reaction vessel 5. On the horizontal axis, "X0" represents the position where the main inlet 11 is located, "X1" represents the position where the additional inlet 21 is located, and "Xn" represents the position where the discharge port 13 is located. If the total length of the reaction vessel 5 is W, in this example, X1 is set to approximately 0.15W to 0.20W. On the vertical axis showing the substrate concentration, an upper limit line La is set to indicate the upper limit of a certain range of substrate concentration, and a lower limit line Lb is set to indicate the lower limit.

[0041] In the biomass processing device 1A, in a reaction tank 5 configured to allow biomass to flow in one direction, primary biomass is introduced into the reaction tank 5 through a primary inlet 11 located at the upstream end in the biomass flow direction, and additional biomass is introduced into the reaction tank 5 through an additional inlet 21 located downstream of the primary inlet 11 in the biomass flow direction. The primary biomass pushed in from the primary inlet 11 is carried downstream of the primary inlet 11 in the biomass flow direction, and the reaction (fermentation) by microorganisms on the substrate in the biomass proceeds. As the reaction progresses, or in other words, as the biomass flows downstream of the primary inlet 11, the substrate is consumed and the substrate concentration decreases, thus slowing down the reaction rate. However, since additional biomass is introduced into the reaction tank 5 through the additional inlet 21, the substrate concentration increases and the reaction rate increases. In this way, even if the reaction rate decreases due to substrate consumption, the reaction rate can be increased by adding substrate, thereby improving the overall fermentation efficiency. These effects can be achieved with a simple device configuration, such as arranging an additional inlet 21 downstream of the main inlet 11 in the biomass flow direction.

[0042] In the biomass processing apparatus 1A, the substrate concentration in the reaction vessel 5 is kept within a certain range between the upper limit line La and the lower limit line Lb by the input of the main biomass and the additional biomass into the reaction vessel 5, thereby maintaining an appropriate substrate concentration. This prevents reaction inhibition, maintains the reaction rate at a certain level or higher, and allows for the stable recovery of the reaction product.

[0043] In the biomass processing device 1A, a portion of the biomass crushed by the crusher 3 is fed into the reaction tank 5 from the main inlet 11, and the remaining portion of the biomass crushed by the crusher 3 is fed into the reaction tank 5 from the additional inlet 21. In other words, the same biomass is separated, with one portion fed into the reaction tank 5 from the main inlet 11 and the other from the additional inlet 21. This eliminates variations in the substrate properties between the biomass fed into the reaction tank 5 through the main inlet 11 and the biomass fed into the reaction tank 5 through the additional inlet 21, allowing the microbial reaction to the substrate in the biomass to proceed as planned.

[0044] In the biomass processing device 1A, in systems with high suspended solids concentrations, such as dry methane fermentation, the suspended solids concentration decreases as the reaction progresses, which can lead to a decrease in the fermentation rate due to solid-liquid separation. However, by appropriately supplementing organic matter with additional biomass input, the suspended solids concentration can be maintained, making solid-liquid separation less likely and allowing the fermentation rate to be maintained.

[0045] [Second Embodiment] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram showing a biomass processing apparatus 1B according to the second embodiment of the present invention. In the second embodiment, components that are the same as or similar to those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals in the figure, and their detailed description is omitted. The following description will focus on the parts specific to the second embodiment.

[0046] In the biomass processing apparatus 1B of the second embodiment shown in Figure 3, a plurality of additional inlets, in this example a first additional inlet 21, a second additional inlet 22, and a third additional inlet 23, are arranged at predetermined intervals from one end to the other in the longitudinal direction of the reaction tank 5 at the top of the reaction tank 5.

[0047] Figure 4 is a graph showing the relationship between the longitudinal position of the reaction vessel 5 and the substrate concentration in the biomass processing apparatus 1B according to the second embodiment. In the graph of Figure 4, the vertical axis represents the substrate concentration, and the horizontal axis represents the longitudinal position of the reaction vessel. On the horizontal axis, "X1" indicates the position where the first additional inlet 21 is located, "X2" indicates the position where the second additional inlet 22 is located, and "X3" indicates the position where the third additional inlet 23 is located.

[0048] In the biomass processing apparatus 1B, in a reaction tank 5 configured so that biomass flows in one direction, the main biomass is introduced into the reaction tank 5 through the main inlet 11 located at the upstream end in the direction of biomass flow. In addition, additional biomass is introduced into the reaction tank 5 through the first additional inlet 21, the second additional inlet 22, and the third additional inlet 23, which are located downstream of the main inlet 11 in the direction of biomass flow. As a result, the substrate concentration can be kept at a high level overall, even though it repeatedly decreases and increases between the upper limit line La and the lower limit line Lb, thereby maintaining a high substrate decomposition rate and improving the overall fermentation efficiency.

[0049] According to the biomass processing apparatus 1B of the second embodiment, substrate consumption can be increased compared to the biomass processing apparatus 1A of the first embodiment, using the same volume of reaction vessel 5. If substrate consumption can be increased with the same volume of reaction vessel 5, then a smaller volume of reaction vessel 5 can be used for the same amount of substrate consumption. That is, if "V" is the volume of reaction vessel 5 required to consume a predetermined amount of substrate when biomass is introduced only from the main inlet 11, then the volume of reaction vessel 5 required to consume the same amount of substrate can be reduced to approximately "0.66V" when biomass is introduced in two stages from the main inlet 11 and the first additional inlet 21, to approximately "0.52V" when biomass is introduced in three stages from the main inlet 11, the first additional inlet 21, and the second additional inlet 22, and to approximately "0.40V" when biomass is introduced in four stages from the main inlet 11, the first additional inlet 21, the second additional inlet 22, and the third additional inlet 23. Therefore, according to the biomass processing apparatus 1B of the second embodiment, the apparatus can be made more compact than the biomass processing apparatus 1A of the first embodiment for the same processing volume.

[0050] [Third Embodiment] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram showing a biomass processing apparatus 1C according to the third embodiment of the present invention. The third embodiment is an example using a batch processing type reaction tank 50. In the third embodiment, the reaction tank 5 is a vertically elongated cylindrical shape, and after the main input biomass is introduced into the reaction tank 50 by the main input biomass supply means 53, additional input biomass is introduced into the reaction tank 50 by the additional input biomass supply means 55 after a certain period of time has elapsed. In Figure 5, the main input biomass supply means 53 and the additional input biomass supply means 55 are shown separately, but they may be configured with common piping, etc. Inside the reaction tank 50, methane fermentation is carried out by microorganisms inside the reaction tank 50 using the introduced biomass as a substrate. Methane fermentation generates biogas containing methane gas and carbon dioxide gas. The generated biogas is recovered by the biogas recovery means 57 via the gas phase located in the upper part of the reaction tank 50. The fermentation residue is removed and recovered to the outside of the reaction tank 50 by the fermentation residue recovery means 59. If necessary, the contents of the tank may be stirred using a stirring means 60. Examples of stirring means 60 include a rotor, a pump, a blower, etc.

[0051] In the biomass processing apparatus 1C of the third embodiment, as the reaction (fermentation) by microorganisms on the substrate in the main input biomass introduced into the reaction vessel 50 progresses, the substrate is consumed and the substrate concentration decreases, thus reducing the reaction rate. However, after a certain period of time has elapsed since the introduction of the main input biomass, additional input biomass is introduced into the reaction vessel 50, increasing the substrate concentration and thus increasing the reaction rate. In this way, even if the reaction rate decreases due to the consumption of substrate, the reaction rate can be increased by introducing additional substrate, thereby improving the overall fermentation efficiency. Such effects can be achieved by implementing a biomass processing method that includes a simple processing step of introducing additional input biomass after a certain period of time has elapsed since the introduction of the main input biomass into the reaction vessel 50.

[0052] Although the biomass processing apparatus and biomass processing method of the present invention have been described above based on several embodiments, the present invention is not limited to the configurations described in the above embodiments, and its configuration can be modified as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the invention.

[0053] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram showing a modified biomass treatment apparatus 1A' and 1B' according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0054] Figure 6(a) shows a modified example of the biomass processing apparatus 1A of the first embodiment. In the first embodiment shown in Figure 1, an example was shown in which the additional inlet 21 in the reaction tank 5 is connected to the supply pipe 33 via the additional supply pipe 39. However, as shown in Figure 6(a), the additional inlet 21 in the reaction tank 5 may be connected to the main supply pipe 31 via the additional supply pipe 63. In the modified example shown in Figure 6(a), a portion of the biomass containing the solid components of the fermentation residue mixed in the mixer 4 is sent to the reaction tank 5 via the main supply pipe 31 and introduced into the reaction tank 5 through the main inlet 11 as the main biomass input, while the remainder is sent to the reaction tank 5 via the additional supply pipe 63 and introduced into the reaction tank 5 through the additional inlet 21 as additional biomass input.

[0055] Figure 6(b) shows a modified example of the biomass processing apparatus 1B of the second embodiment. In the second embodiment shown in Figure 3, an example was shown in which the first additional inlet 21, the second additional inlet 22, and the third additional inlet 23 in the reaction tank 5 were connected to the supply pipe 33 via an additional supply pipe 39. However, as shown in Figure 6(b), the first additional inlet 21, the second additional inlet 22, and the third additional inlet 23 in the reaction tank 5 may be connected to the main supply pipe 31 via an additional supply pipe 63. According to the modified example shown in Figure 6(b), a portion of the biomass containing the solid components of the fermentation residue mixed in the mixer 4 is sent to the reaction tank 5 via the main supply pipe 31 and introduced into the reaction tank 5 as main input biomass through the main inlet 11, while the remainder is sent to the reaction tank 5 via the additional supply pipe 63 and introduced into the reaction tank 5 as additional input biomass through the first additional inlet 21, the second additional inlet 22, and the third additional inlet 23, respectively. [Industrial applicability]

[0056] The biomass processing apparatus and biomass processing method of the present invention can be used in applications where biomass is the target of processing and biogas is generated and recovered by a reaction involving microorganisms. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0057] 1A~1C Biomass treatment equipment 5 Reaction vessels 11 Main input port 21~23 Additional input slot

Claims

1. A biomass processing apparatus configured to carry out a continuous microbial reaction with a substrate in the biomass that is introduced, in a single reaction vessel, The reaction vessel is a plug-flow type reaction vessel configured such that the biomass is pushed out and flows in one direction from one end to the other end. The main biomass inlet is located at the upstream end in the flow direction of the biomass within the reaction tank. And so, One or more additional biomass is added downstream of the main inlet in the flow direction. The mouth is positioned, The above reaction is a biomass treatment apparatus that involves methane fermentation.

2. The reaction vessel is equipped with a gas vent pipe for recovering the generated biomass and an outlet for discharging the fermentation residue after the biomass has been generated. The biomass processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the gas venting pipe is arranged downstream of the additional inlet and upstream of the discharge port in the flow direction.

3. The main inlet and the The biomass processing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein an additional input port is provided.

4. A biomass processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a portion of the biomass is introduced into the reaction tank from the main inlet, and the remaining portion of the biomass is introduced into the reaction tank from the additional inlet.

5. A crusher for sorting and crushing the aforementioned biomass, A biomass processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, comprising a mixer for mixing a portion of the biomass crushed by the crusher with the fermentation residue discharged from the reaction tank.

6. The biomass processing apparatus according to claim 5, configured such that biomass including fermentation residue mixed in the mixer is introduced into the reaction tank from the main inlet, and the remaining portion of biomass crushed by the crusher is introduced into the reaction tank from the additional inlet without passing through the mixer.

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