Drying and carbonization apparatus

Abstract

To provide a drying and carbonizing device capable of reducing costs by simplifying an overall configuration, significantly reducing an installation space, and shortening a working time.SOLUTION: A drying and carbonizing device has: a main body tank 11 which is formed in a vertical cylindrical shape and into which a processed object is fed; and a rotating winding vane 30 in a plurality of stages in a vertical direction, which is provided around a rotation axis 20 along an axial center in the main body tank 11 and presses the processed object to a heat-transfer surface 12a by centrifugal force while winding up the processed object through rotation. The main tank 11 is divided through a dividing wall 110 into: a drying area 11a in which the processed object fed from an upper part thereof is dried by rotation of an upper rotating winding vane 30A; and a carbonizing area 11b in which the dried processed object is received at a lower part thereof and carbonized by rotation of a lower rotating winding vane 30B.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a drying and carbonizing apparatus having a main body tank having a vertical cylindrical shape into which an object to be processed is charged, and a plurality of upper and lower rotating lifting blades provided around a rotating shaft along the axis in the main body tank, which lift the object to be processed by rotation and press it against the heat transfer surface on the inner circumference of the main body tank by centrifugal force.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a drying and carbonizing apparatus that dries various objects to be processed such as granular, powdery, liquid, and块状, and then continues to carbonize them is known. In particular, the applicant has already proposed a drying and carbonizing apparatus that can realize ideal drying conditions or carbonizing conditions by developing a unique blade called a cyclone fin (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2).

[0003] Such a drying and carbonizing apparatus includes a dryer that presses an object to be processed charged into a vertical cylindrical main body tank against the heat transfer surface on the inner wall of the main body tank in a thin film shape by the rotation of a rotating lifting blade attached to a rotating shaft and dries it, and a carbonizer having the same configuration as this dryer, which carbonizes the dried product generated by the dryer at a higher temperature and in an oxygen-free state, and these are arranged side by side.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] However, in the drying and carbonization apparatus described in the aforementioned Patent Documents 1 and 2, the dryer and carbonizer were configured as separate devices equipped with different main tanks, despite having similar configurations. As a result, the overall apparatus was large in scale, and piping was also required to transfer the material to be processed from the dryer to the carbonizer, increasing costs and requiring a large space for installation. Furthermore, transferring the dried material from the dryer to the carbonizer increased the working time.

[0006] This invention addresses the problems of conventional technologies as described above, and aims to provide a drying and carbonizing apparatus that simplifies the overall configuration and reduces costs by integrating the dryer and carbonizer into a single device, while also significantly reducing installation space, thus meeting the demand for space-saving solutions, and further shortening working time. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] To achieve the aforementioned objectives, one aspect of the present invention is: A drying and carbonizing apparatus having a main tank having a vertical cylindrical shape into which the material to be processed is introduced, and multiple upper and lower rotating winding blades provided around a rotating axis along the axis of the main tank, which wind up the material to be processed by rotation and press it against the heat transfer surface on the inner circumference of the main tank by centrifugal force, The main tank is characterized in that it is divided by a partition wall into a drying region where the material to be processed, which is introduced from the top of the main tank, is dried by the rotation of the rotating hoisting blades, and a carbonization region below the drying region where the dried material to be processed is received and carbonized by the rotation of the rotating hoisting blades. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the drying and carbonizing apparatus of the present invention, by integrating the dryer and carbonizer into a single apparatus, the overall configuration can be simplified, reducing costs and significantly reducing installation space, thus meeting the demand for space-saving solutions. Furthermore, the drying or carbonizing treatment of the material to be processed can be carried out efficiently, and the working time can be shortened. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] This is a longitudinal cross-sectional view schematically showing the internal structure of a drying and carbonization apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a flowchart schematically showing the overall configuration and processing of a drying and carbonization apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] This is an explanatory diagram showing the state of the material being processed during processing in a drying and carbonization apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] Hereinafter, a representative embodiment of the present invention will be described based on the drawings. The drying and carbonizing apparatus 10 according to this embodiment is a device for first drying the material to be processed, which is introduced into the main tank 11, by rotating a multi-stage upper and lower rotating winding vane 30 provided on a rotating shaft 20 extending along the vertical axis within the main tank 11, thereby producing a dried material, and then carbonizing the dried material to produce a carbonized material. The material to be processed can be a wide variety, including food waste, leftover food, food residue, sludge, livestock manure, etc., and can be in various forms such as granular, powdery, liquid, or lumpy, with varying moisture content.

[0011] Figure 1 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing the internal structure of the drying and carbonization apparatus 10 according to this embodiment. Figure 2 is a flowchart schematically showing the overall configuration and processing of the drying and carbonization apparatus 10 according to this embodiment. Hatching is omitted in Figure 1. The relative dimensions and shapes of each component in each figure may be modified as appropriate in the design and may differ from the actual dimensions. Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described below, and detailed explanations of already well-known matters or redundant explanations of substantially identical configurations may be omitted as appropriate.

[0012] <Regarding the main tank 11> As shown in Figure 1, the main tank 11 is formed from metal in a vertical cylindrical shape, and its interior is closed by a peripheral wall portion 12 forming the outer circumference, a bottom portion 14 that closes the lower side, and a top portion 15 that closes the upper side. The main tank 11 is installed on the floor with its axis vertical by legs 1. The inner circumferential surface of the peripheral wall portion 12 of the main tank 11 (inner circumference of the main tank) serves as a heat transfer surface 12a that transmits heat from the heating means to the workpiece. The heating means includes, for example, a jacket 13 formed to surround the outer circumferential surface of the peripheral wall portion 12 of the main tank 11 (outer circumference of the main tank), and a hot air generator 40 (see Figure 2) connected to this jacket 13 that sends hot air into the jacket 13.

[0013] The jacket 13 is formed to surround the outer surface of the peripheral wall portion 12 from its lowest end to near its upper end, and its interior is hollow. The jacket 13 is provided with a hot air inlet 13a for receiving hot air into the jacket 13 and a hot air outlet 13b for discharging excess hot air to the outside of the jacket 13. The hot air inlet 13a is provided in a tubular shape to which piping can be connected, on the lower side (for example, at the lowest end) of the part of the jacket 13 that overlaps with the carbonization region 11b of the main tank 11, which will be described later.

[0014] The hot air outlet section 13b is provided in a tubular shape on the upper side (for example, the uppermost end) of the jacket 13 that overlaps with the drying region 11a, which will be described later, and to which piping can be connected. As shown in Figure 2, a blower 50 is provided at the end of the piping that forms the exhaust line connected to the hot air outlet section 13b, and the hot air discharged from the hot air outlet section 13b is released into the atmosphere, for example. Inside the jacket 13, spiral partition plates are provided to distribute the hot air introduced from the hot air outlet section 13b upwards over the entire circumference of the heat transfer surface 12a.

[0015] Furthermore, as another example of a heating means, instead of hot air from the hot air generator 40 described later, steam may be sent into the jacket 13, or the system may consist of a heat transfer medium contained within the jacket 13 and an electric heater arranged on the outer periphery of the jacket 13. In other words, heat from the electric heater is transferred to the heat transfer surface 12a via the heat transfer medium. The configuration can be further simplified by directly transferring heat from the electric heater arranged on the outer periphery of the jacket 13 to the heat transfer surface 12a. Thus, various heating means can be considered.

[0016] The interior of the main tank 11 is divided by a partition wall 110 into a drying region 11a where materials to be processed are dried from the top, and a carbonization region 11b below where dried materials are received and carbonized. The partition wall 110 is formed, for example, in the shape of a disc perpendicular to the axis of the main tank 11, and is positioned to divide the peripheral wall portion 12 into approximately two equal parts in the height direction. The partition wall 110 forms the bottom surface of the drying region 11a. The main tank 11 is divided into two parts, upper and lower, below the partition wall 110, along with the jacket 13 described later, and the upper and lower parts are detachably assembled at a joint 18. This allows for the assembly of parts into the main tank 11 and for maintenance and inspection.

[0017] The drying area 11a is the upper half inside the main body tank 11. It is an area where the object to be processed, which is introduced from the supply pipe 16 described later, is lifted by the rotation of the upper rotating lifting blade 30A located in this area and pressed against the heat transfer surface 12a by centrifugal force through a drying process to generate a dried product. Air is supplied to the drying area 11a from the ventilation port 15a (see Figure 2) on the upper surface portion 15. On the other hand, the carbonization area 11b is the lower half inside the main body tank 11. It is an area where the dried product that has fallen from the drying area 11a is received, and by a carbonization process of being lifted by the rotation of the lower rotating lifting blade 30B located in this area and pressed against the heat transfer surface 12a by centrifugal force, a carbide is generated.

[0018] At an eccentric position in the partition wall 110, a dropping port 111 that can be opened and closed by a shutter 111a is provided. The shutter 111a is driven to open and close by, for example, a solenoid 111b or the like. The dropping port 111 is normally closed by the shutter 111a, but when it is in the open state, the object to be processed in the drying area 11a naturally drops by gravity into the carbonization area 11b through this dropping port 111. Note that the dropping port 111 is not limited to only one, and a plurality of them may be provided.

[0019] At the center of the partition wall 110, a communication part 120 that also serves as a lower bearing part for rotatably supporting the lower end of the upper rotating shaft 20A described later is provided. The communication part 120 includes a bearing cylindrical member 121 fixed in a state of penetrating the center of the partition wall 110, and a covering cylindrical member 122 fixed in the middle of the upper rotating shaft 20A in a state of covering the upper surface opening of this cylindrical member 121 from above. At a position in the middle of the bearing cylindrical member 121 that is located in the carbonization area 11b below the partition wall 110, a ventilation port 121a that communicates with the inside is provided.

[0020] The inside of the bearing cylindrical member 121 communicates with the carbonization region 11b through the ventilation port 121a and also communicates with the drying region 11a through the gap between the upper surface opening of the cylindrical member 121 and the covering cylindrical member 122. With such a communication part 120, the waste gas generated in the carbonization region 11b is sent into the drying region 11a, while the object to be processed in the drying region 11a is configured not to fall from the communication part 120 into the carbonization region 11b. Incidentally, the upward rotating hoisting blade 30A described later is fixed to the outer peripheral lower end side of the covering cylindrical member 122, and the upward rotating hoisting blade 30A rotates integrally with the upward rotating shaft 20A.

[0021] Also, the configurations for supplying the object to be processed into the main body tank 11 and discharging it to the outside are various. In the present embodiment, a supply pipe 16 is connected to the peripheral wall portion 12 near the upper surface portion 15 of the main body tank 11, while a discharge pipe 17 is connected to the peripheral wall portion 12 near the bottom surface portion 14. An inlet 16a for receiving the object to be processed (not shown) is connected to the supply pipe 16, and a shutter 16b for opening and closing the inlet 16a is provided. The shutter 16b is driven to open and close by, for example, a solenoid 16c or the like. Further, a supply screw 16d for transferring the object to be processed introduced into the inlet 16a to the vicinity of the upper surface portion 15 inside the main body tank 11, that is, the upper part of the drying region 11a, is rotatably provided in the supply pipe 16. The supply screw 16d is rotationally driven by, for example, a drive motor 16e or the like.

[0022] On the other hand, the discharge pipe 17 is provided with a discharge port 17a that opens to the outside and a shutter 17b for opening and closing the discharge port 17a. The shutter 17b is driven to open and close by, for example, a solenoid 17c or the like. Further, a discharge screw 17d for transferring the carbonized object to be processed (carbide) from the vicinity of the bottom surface portion 14 inside the main body tank 11, that is, the bottom of the carbonization region 11b, to the discharge port 17a is rotatably provided in the discharge pipe 17. The discharge screw 17d is rotationally driven by, for example, a drive motor 17e or the like.

[0023] With this configuration, the material to be processed is supplied from the supply pipe 16 to the drying region 11a in the main tank 11 by the rotational drive of the supply screw 16d. Meanwhile, the carbonized material processed in the carbonization region 11b in the main tank 11 is discharged to the outside from the discharge port 17a by the rotational drive of the discharge screw 17d. This makes it possible not only to batch processing, in which the supply of the material to be processed is divided and carbonized is obtained intermittently, but also to continuous processing, in which the material to be processed is continuously supplied while the drying or carbonization process described later is performed and the carbonized material is continuously discharged.

[0024] Alternatively, although not shown in the diagram, a supply port that can be opened and closed may be provided on a part of the upper surface 15 of the main tank 11, through which the material to be processed is fed into the tank, while a discharge port that can be opened and closed may be provided near the bottom surface 14 of the main tank 11, through which the carbonized material is discharged to the outside. With such a configuration, a batch-type processing is performed without supplying or discharging the material to be processed in between until all processing steps are completed.

[0025] Furthermore, the drying region 11a of the main tank 11 is provided with an exhaust gas exhaust section 19 for discharging exhaust gas generated in the main tank 11 to the outside. The base port of the exhaust gas exhaust section 19 is connected to the upper surface section 15. The exhaust gas exhaust section 19 is formed, for example, in the shape of a chimney and is connected via piping to supply exhaust gas to a hot air generator 40 (see Figure 2), which will be described later. An openable and closable shutter 19a is provided in the middle of the exhaust gas exhaust section 19, and is configured to discharge exhaust gas when the shutter 19a is open. The shutter 19a is driven to open and close by, for example, a solenoid 19b.

[0026] <Regarding the rotation axis 20> As shown in Figure 1, a rotating shaft 20 is provided inside the main tank 11, extending along its vertical axis. The rotating shaft 20 is divided into an upper rotating shaft 20A located in the drying region 11a and a lower rotating shaft 20B located in the carbonization region 11b. In the following description, when referring to the upper rotating shaft 20A and the lower rotating shaft 20B collectively, they will simply be referred to as the rotating shaft 20.

[0027] The upper rotating shaft 20A is rotatably supported at its upper end by an upper bearing portion 21 located on the upper central upper side of the upper surface portion 15 of the main body tank 11, and at its lower end by the aforementioned bearing cylindrical member 121 which penetrates the center of the partition wall 110. An upper drive motor 23 is connected to the upper end of the upper rotating shaft 20A, which protrudes above the upper bearing portion 21, via a gearbox 23a so as to be able to transmit power. The upper rotating shaft 20A is rotationally driven in one direction around its axis by the upper drive motor 23.

[0028] On the other hand, the lower end of the lower rotating shaft 20B is rotatably supported by a lower bearing portion 22 located below the bottom surface portion 14 of the main body tank 11, while the upper end remains upright. A lower drive motor 24 is connected to the lower end of the lower rotating shaft 20B, which protrudes below the lower bearing portion 22, via a gearbox 24a to transmit power. The lower rotating shaft 20B is rotated in one direction around its axis by the lower drive motor 24, similar to the upper rotating shaft 20A.

[0029] <About the Rotary Winding Blade 30> As shown in Figure 1, the rotating shaft 20 supports multiple upper and lower rotating hoisting blades 30 that rotate to hoist the workpiece and press it against the heat transfer surface 12a using centrifugal force. Specifically, the upper rotating shaft 20A supports the upper rotating hoisting blade 30A located in the drying region 11a, and the lower rotating shaft 20B supports the lower rotating hoisting blade 30B located in the carbonization region 11b. In the following description, when referring to the upper rotating hoisting blade 30A and the lower rotating hoisting blade 30B collectively, they will simply be referred to as rotating hoisting blades 30.

[0030] The upper rotating hoisting blade 30A rotates in one direction in conjunction with the upper rotating shaft 20A, driven by the upper drive motor 23. On the other hand, the lower rotating hoisting blade 30B rotates in the same direction in conjunction with the lower rotating shaft 20B, driven by the lower drive motor 24. Here, the rotational drives of the upper rotating hoisting blade 30A (upper drive motor 23) and the lower rotating hoisting blade 30B (lower drive motor 24) are configured to be controllable separately.

[0031] The rotating hoisting vane 30 consists of a plurality of base vanes 31 arranged circumferentially around the rotation axis 20. In this embodiment, the upper rotating hoisting vane 30A has two base vanes 31. Similarly, the lower rotating hoisting vane 30B also has two base vanes 31. Each base vane 31 is formed to the same shape and is arranged with a phase difference of approximately 180 degrees.

[0032] Each base blade 31 extends circumferentially in a plan view and has a flat surface 31a (see Figure 3) on which the material to be processed can be placed from its starting end and wound up while moving it toward the end. This flat surface 31a is formed to extend diagonally upward from the starting end to the ending end in the direction opposite to the rotation direction of the rotating winding blade 30. In other words, each base blade 31 is configured to place the material to be dried on the flat surface 31a and wind it up while pressing it against the heat transfer surface 12a by centrifugal force (see Figure 3).

[0033] The outer circumferential end of the flat surface 31a of each base blade 31 is arc-shaped and close to the heat transfer surface 12a of the main tank 11. A gap U (see Figure 3) is secured between the outer circumferential end of the flat surface 31a and the heat transfer surface 12a to allow rotation of each base blade 31. The higher end of the flat surface 31a of a base blade 31 may overlap the lower end of the flat surface 31a of an adjacent base blade 31 in the opposite direction of rotation.

[0034] Each base blade 31 is connected at its starting end to the tip of a mounting arm 32 that extends radially from the rotation axis 20. The mounting arms 32 are arranged to unfold on a plane perpendicular to the axial direction of the rotation axis 20, and each supports the corresponding base blade 31. In this embodiment, the base blades 31 and the mounting arms 32 are integrally molded and are constructed by cutting and bending a single metal plate.

[0035] More specifically, the base end of the mounting arm 32 on the upper rotating hoisting vane 30A is fixed not directly to the upper rotating shaft 20A, but to the lower outer circumference of the covering cylindrical member 122. On the other hand, the base end of the mounting arm 32 on the lower rotating hoisting vane 30B is fixed directly to the lower rotating shaft 20B. Each mounting arm 32 is inclined diagonally in its width direction to match the inclination of the flat surface 31a of the base vane 31.

[0036] The terminal ends and intermediate sections of each base blade 31 may also be supported by separate mounting arms 32 extending radially from the rotating shaft 20, as needed. In this case, the tips of the mounting arms 32 are fixed to the back side of the flat surface 31a of each base blade 31. Alternatively, each base blade 31 may be directly connected to the rotating shaft 30 at its starting end without using the mounting arms 32, so that it gradually approaches the heat transfer surface 12a from the starting end to the terminal end.

[0037] Furthermore, the number of base blades 31 constituting the rotating hoisting blades 30 is not limited to the two shown in the figure, but may consist of three or four or more blades. The specific length and width dimensions of each base blade 31 are also design matters that can be determined as appropriate. In addition, in this embodiment, one stage of rotating hoisting blades 30 is attached to both the upper rotating shaft 20A and the lower rotating shaft 20B, but two or more stages of rotating hoisting blades 30 may be attached depending on the height and dimensions of the main tank 11, and the number of stages of rotating hoisting blades 30 attached to the upper rotating shaft 20A and the lower rotating shaft 20B may be different.

[0038] <Regarding the hot air generator 40> As shown in Figure 2, a hot air generator 40 is erected next to the main tank 11, parallel to the main tank 11. The hot air generator 40 is a furnace that directs the waste gas generated in the main tank 11 into combustion to render it harmless. The waste gas here contains water vapor, as well as odor components, COD, and BOD components. The hot air generator 40 is equipped with an erected cylindrical furnace tube 41 and a burner 42 located at the top of the furnace tube 41.

[0039] The upper part of the furnace tube 41 is provided with a tubular exhaust gas supply section 43 that communicates from the outside to the vicinity of the burner 42 inside. The lower part of the furnace tube 41 is provided with a tubular hot air discharge section 44 that communicates from the inside to the outside. The exhaust gas supply section 43 is connected via piping to an exhaust gas exhaust section 19 located on the upper surface 15 of the main tank 11. The hot air discharge section 44 is connected via piping to a hot air inlet section 13a located on the jacket 13 of the main tank 11.

[0040] In other words, the hot air generator 40 and the main tank 11 are connected by piping that forms the exhaust gas discharge line and by piping that forms the hot air supply line. As a result, the exhaust gas in the main tank 11 is guided into the hot air generator 40 and combusted, and the exhaust gas produced by the combustion is guided as hot air into the jacket 13 of the main tank 11, and the hot air generator 40 constitutes a heating means for heating the heat transfer surface 12a of the main tank 11.

[0041] <Operation of the drying and carbonization apparatus 10> Next, the operation of the drying and carbonization apparatus 10 according to this embodiment will be described. In Figure 2, the drying and carbonizing apparatus 10 first dries the material to be processed in the drying region 11a above the main tank 11, and then carbonizes the material in the carbonizing region 11b below the main tank 11. During the carbonizing process in the carbonizing region 11b, a new drying process can be performed simultaneously in the drying region 11a. This makes it possible to perform both the drying and carbonizing processes of the material to be processed continuously and simultaneously using only one drying and carbonizing apparatus 10.

[0042] Initially, in the drying region 11a of the main tank 11, the material to be processed is supplied from the supply pipe 16 by the rotational drive of the supply screw 16d. At this time, hot air is introduced into the jacket 13 by the drive of the hot air generator 40, and the heat transfer surface 12a is heated. The material to be processed supplied to the drying region 11a is wound upward in the drying region 11a by the rotation of the upward rotating winding vanes 30A, which are driven by the rotational drive of the upper rotating shaft 20A.

[0043] In other words, as the upward rotating hoisting blades 30A rotate, the workpiece is placed on the flat surface 31a from the starting end for each base blade 31, and moves towards the end along the flat surface 31a. At this time, an upward force acts on the workpiece, causing it to be hoisted up and pressed against the heat transfer surface 12a by centrifugal force (see Figure 3). As a result, the moisture in the workpiece evaporates and it dries.

[0044] Furthermore, if the carbonization process in the carbonization region 11b, described below, is also proceeding simultaneously, the waste gas generated by the carbonization process is sent to the drying region 11a through the communication section 120. This allows heating from the inner circumference of the thin film of the workpiece, promoting the evaporation of moisture from the workpiece, and thus further increasing the drying efficiency of the workpiece in the drying region 11a. The waste gas here is generated when the dried workpiece is further carbonized, and is mainly hot air containing water vapor.

[0045] The exhaust gas in the dry region 11a is discharged to the outside from the exhaust gas exhaust section 19 on the upper surface 15 and guided through piping to the hot air generator 40. The exhaust gas introduced from the exhaust gas supply section 43 of the furnace tube 41 contains water vapor, as well as odor components, COD, and BOD components, which are burned by the burner 42 to render them harmless. The hot air generated at this time is sent from the hot air discharge section 44 of the furnace tube 41 through piping to the hot air inlet section 13a at the bottom of the jacket 13 and into the jacket 13, heating the heat transfer surface 12a.

[0046] The hot air introduced from the hot air generator 40 into the jacket 13 gradually decreases in temperature as it circulates from bottom to top within the jacket 13, but it remains at a sufficiently high temperature for drying even in the area surrounding the drying region 11a. Moreover, as mentioned above, exhaust gas from the carbonization region 11b is directly introduced into the drying region 11a, allowing the material to be processed to be thoroughly dried first. The hot air that reaches the top of the jacket 13 is then released into the atmosphere by the blower 50 through piping from the hot air outlet 13b located at the top of the jacket 13.

[0047] In this way, by performing the drying process in the drying region 11a for, for example, 1 to 2 hours, the initial weight of the material to be processed can be reduced to, for example, about one-fifth. The material dried in the drying region 11a can then be dropped directly into the carbonization region 11b below by opening the shutter 111a of the drop-off port 111 in the partition wall 110 of the main tank 11. Here, the shutter 111a is driven to open and close by, for example, a solenoid 111b, so it can be controlled to move from the normally closed state to the open state at any desired timing.

[0048] Then, in the carbonization region 11b, the dried material to be treated continues to be carbonized. Unlike the drying region 11a, the carbonization region 11b does not have a vent 15a, and in the connecting section 120, exhaust gas flows from the carbonization region 11b towards the drying region 11a. Therefore, during the carbonization process in the carbonization region 11b, it is kept in a nearly oxygen-free state, preventing combustion due to the introduction of oxygen.

[0049] The lower part of the jacket 13 covering the carbonization region 11b is first supplied with hot air from the hot air generator 40. As a result, it becomes hotter than the upper part of the jacket 13 covering the drying region 11a, and the temperature of the heat transfer surface 12a can be heated to a high temperature suitable for carbonization. The material being processed in the carbonization region 11b is then wound upward in the carbonization region 11b by the rotation of the downward rotating hoisting vanes 30B driven by the rotation of the downward rotating shaft 20B.

[0050] In other words, as the downward rotating hoisting blades 30B rotate, the workpiece is placed on the flat surface 31a from the starting end for each base blade 31, and moves towards the end along the flat surface 31a. At this time, an upward force acts on the workpiece, causing it to be hoisted up and pressed against the heat transfer surface 12a by centrifugal force (see Figure 3). As a result, further moisture evaporates from the already dried workpiece, causing it to carbonize. In addition, the waste gas generated during the carbonization process is introduced into the drying region 11a from the connecting section 120 as described above and can be used for the drying process.

[0051] In this way, by performing the carbonization treatment in the carbonization region 11b for, for example, 1 to 2 hours, the weight of the dried material to be treated, which has been sent from the drying region 11a, can be further reduced to, for example, about one-quarter of its original weight. The carbonized material is then discharged to the outside through the discharge pipe 17 located at the bottom of the carbonization region 11b by the rotational drive of the discharge screw 17d. The carbonized material (carbonized material) can be reused, for example, as a soil conditioner, wastewater treatment agent, or fuel.

[0052] As described above, with this drying and carbonizing apparatus 10, when carbonized material is discharged from the carbonization area 11b, the same amount of dried material is dropped from the drying area 11a back into the carbonization area 11b, and new material is supplied to the drying area 11a. As a result, this drying and carbonizing apparatus 10 can continuously perform drying and carbonization of material simultaneously, and the overall working time for the two processes is significantly reduced.

[0053] [Structure and Effects of the Invention] Although various embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above. The present invention derived from the embodiments described above will be described below.

[0054] First, the present invention relates to a drying and carbonization apparatus 10 having a vertical cylindrical main tank 11 into which the material to be processed is introduced, and multiple upper and lower rotating winding blades 30 provided around a rotating shaft 20 along the axis within the main tank 11, which wind up the material to be processed by rotation and press it against the heat transfer surface 12a on the inner circumference of the main tank 11 by centrifugal force, The main tank 11 is characterized in that it is divided by a partition wall 110 into a drying region 11a where the material to be processed, which is introduced from the top of the main tank 11, is dried by the rotation of the rotating hoisting blades 30, and a carbonization region 11b below the drying region 11a where the dried material to be processed is received and carbonized by the rotation of the rotating hoisting blades 30.

[0055] In this type of drying and carbonizing apparatus 10, the material to be processed, which is introduced from the top of the main tank 11, is first dried in the drying region 11a by being pressed against the heat transfer surface 12a by the rotation of the rotating hoisting blades 30. Then, the dried material to be processed is carbonized in the carbonizing region 11b below the drying region 11a by being pressed against the heat transfer surface 12a by the rotation of the rotating hoisting blades 30.

[0056] Thus, by integrating a conventional dryer and carbonizer into a single device, the apparatus 10 simplifies the overall configuration, reduces costs, and significantly reduces installation space, thus meeting the demand for space-saving solutions. Furthermore, the apparatus 10 can perform drying and carbonization of the material to be processed simultaneously, significantly reducing the overall working time required for both processes.

[0057] Furthermore, the present invention provides a drop opening 111 which is provided in the partition wall 110 and can be opened and closed from the shutter 111a, When the drop opening 111 is open, the material to be dried in the drying region 11a falls through the drop opening 111 into the carbonization region 11b.

[0058] With this configuration, the dried material generated in the drying region 11a can be easily transferred by gravity through the drop-off opening 111 with the shutter 111a open to the carbonization region 11b below. The opening and closing of the shutter 111a can be controlled at any desired timing.

[0059] Furthermore, the present invention is characterized by having a communication section 120 that sends the waste gas generated during the carbonization process in the carbonization region 11b to the drying region 11a.

[0060] This configuration makes it possible to effectively utilize the waste heat contained in the exhaust gas as a heat source for the drying process in the drying region 11a, thereby increasing the drying efficiency.

[0061] Furthermore, the present invention is characterized in that the communication portion 120 is fixed in a state where it penetrates the center of the partition wall 110 and also serves as a bearing for the rotating shaft 20, and a bottomed cylindrical bearing member 121 is fixed to the rotating shaft 20 in a state where it covers the cylindrical bearing member 121 from above without blocking its upper opening.

[0062] With such a connecting section 120, the waste gas generated in the carbonization region 11b can be efficiently sent to the drying region 11a with a simple configuration. Moreover, it is possible to prevent the material to be processed in the drying region 11a from falling into the carbonization region 11b through the connecting section 120.

[0063] Furthermore, in the present invention, the rotating shaft 20 is divided into an upper rotating shaft 20A that supports the upper rotating winding blade 30A located in the drying region 11a, and a lower rotating shaft 20B that supports the lower rotating winding blade 30B located in the carbonization region 11b. The upper rotation shaft 20A and the lower rotation shaft 20B are characterized by being driven to rotate independently.

[0064] With this configuration, the rotation of the upper rotating shaft 20A and the upper rotating hoisting blades 30A can be driven separately from the rotation of the lower rotating shaft 20B and the lower rotating hoisting blades 30B. Therefore, the drying process in the drying region 11a and the carbonization process in the carbonization region 11b can be controlled at flexible timings, such as being performed continuously or simultaneously.

[0065] Furthermore, the present invention includes a heating means for heating the heat transfer surface 12a on the inner circumference of the main tank 11. The heating means comprises a jacket 13 formed to surround the outer circumference of the main tank 11 and having a hollow interior, and a hot air generator 40 that guides in and burns the waste gas generated in the main tank 11 to render it harmless. A waste gas exhaust section 19 is provided in the drying region 11a of the main tank 11 for discharging waste gas to the outside and supplying it to the hot air generator 40. The jacket 13 is characterized in that a hot air inlet 13a is provided on the lower side of the portion of the jacket 13 that overlaps with the carbonization region 11b to receive the hot air generated in the hot air generator 40, while a hot air outlet 13b is provided on the upper side of the portion of the jacket 13 that overlaps with the drying region 11a to discharge excess hot air from inside the jacket 13 to the outside.

[0066] With this configuration, the waste gas generated in the main tank 11 is guided to the hot air generator 40 and burned, thereby neutralizing harmful components in the waste gas and decomposing odor components to eliminate the generation of unpleasant odors. Furthermore, not only is the waste gas used as a heat source for drying and carbonization processes, but because the waste gas contains a relatively large amount of calories, the hot air generator 40 requires relatively little fuel, thus enabling energy savings.

[0067] Furthermore, in the present invention, the rotating winding blade 30 consists of a plurality of base blades arranged in a circumferential direction around the rotation axis 20, and each base blade has a flat surface 31a that extends in a circumferential direction in a plan view and can wind up an object to be processed by placing it on its starting end and moving it toward the terminal end, and the flat surface 31a is formed to extend diagonally upward from the starting end toward the terminal end in the direction opposite to the direction of rotation.

[0068] With this configuration, each rotating hoisting blade 30 efficiently scoops up and winds up the material to be processed using the flat surface 31a of the base blade 31, and presses it in a thin film onto the heat transfer surface 12a on the inner circumference of the main tank 11 by centrifugal force. Here, the material to be processed, whose moisture content has decreased due to contact with the heat transfer surface 12a, moves away from the heat transfer surface 12a on the flat surface 31a of the base blade 31 so as to be replaced by material with a higher moisture content. This allows the material to be dried efficiently.

[0069] Although embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the drawings, the specific configuration is not limited to these embodiments, and any changes or additions that do not depart from the spirit of the present invention are also included. For example, the main tank 11 in the above embodiment is generally cylindrical, but it may also be configured as an inverted frustoconical shape in which the cross-sectional area gradually decreases from the upper surface 15 to the bottom surface 14.

[0070] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the drying region 11a and the carbonization region 11b inside the main tank 11 are made to be approximately the same size, but they may be designed to be of different sizes, for example, by increasing the volume of the drying region 11a. Of course, the number and configuration of the rotating hoisting blades 30 arranged in the drying region 11a and the carbonization region 11b are not limited to those shown in the figures. For example, the number of stages of the rotating hoisting blades 30 may be different in the drying region 11a and the carbonization region 11b, or the number and shape of the base blades 31 may be different. [Industrial applicability]

[0071] The drying and carbonizing apparatus of the present invention can handle various types of materials to be processed, and in particular, it can be widely used as a drying and carbonizing apparatus that can efficiently dry or carbonize materials containing solids or semi-solids, or materials with high viscosity. [Explanation of symbols]

[0072] 10…Drying and carbonization equipment 11…Main tank 11a...Dry area 11b…Carbonized area 12...Peripheral wall part 12a... Heat transfer surface 13…Jacket 14…Bottom part 15...Top part 110...Bulkhead 111... Drop-off point 20A... Upward rotation shaft 20B... Downward rotation axis 30A... Upward rotating winding vane 30B... Downward rotating winding vane 31... Base feather

Claims

1. A drying and carbonizing apparatus having a main tank having a vertical cylindrical shape into which the material to be processed is introduced, and multiple upper and lower rotating winding blades provided around a rotating axis along the axis of the main tank, which wind up the material to be processed by rotation and press it against the heat transfer surface on the inner circumference of the main tank by centrifugal force, The main tank is divided by a partition into a drying region where the material to be processed, introduced from the top of the main tank, is dried by the rotation of the rotating hoisting blades, and a carbonization region below the drying region where the dried material is received and carbonized by the rotation of the rotating hoisting blades. The aforementioned partition wall is provided with a drop-off opening that can be opened and closed from the shutter, When the drop-off port is open, the material to be dried in the drying area falls through the drop-off port into the carbonization area. The system includes a communication section for sending waste gas generated during the carbonization process in the carbonization region to the drying region. The aforementioned communication portion comprises a bottomed bearing cylindrical member fixed in a state where it penetrates the center of the partition wall and also serves as the bearing for the rotating shaft, and a covering cylindrical member fixed to the rotating shaft so as to surround the bearing cylindrical member from above without blocking its upper opening. A ventilation opening is provided in the bearing cylindrical member at a location in the carbonized region below the partition wall, which communicates with the interior. A drying and carbonizing apparatus characterized in that the inside of the bearing cylindrical member is in communication with the carbonization region through the ventilation opening, and is also in communication with the drying region through the gap between the upper opening of the bearing cylindrical member and the covering cylindrical member.

2. The rotating shaft is divided vertically into an upper rotating shaft that supports the rotating winding blades located in the drying region, and a lower rotating shaft that supports the rotating winding blades located in the carbonization region. The drying and carbonizing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the upper rotating shaft and the lower rotating shaft are driven to rotate separately.

3. The main body tank has a heating means for heating the heat transfer surface on the inner circumference, The heating means comprises a jacket formed to surround the outer circumference of the main tank and having a hollow interior, and a hot air generator that guides in and burns the waste gas generated in the main tank to render it harmless. A waste gas exhaust section is provided in the drying region of the main tank for discharging waste gas to the outside and supplying it to the hot air generator. The drying and carbonizing apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that a hot air inlet is provided on the lower side of the jacket that overlaps with the carbonization region to receive the hot air generated in the hot air generating furnace, and a hot air outlet is provided on the upper side of the jacket that overlaps with the drying region to discharge excess hot air from inside the jacket to the outside.

4. The rotating winding blades consist of a plurality of base blades arranged in a circular direction around the axis of rotation, and each base blade has a flat surface that extends in a circular direction in a plan view and can wind up the material to be processed by placing it on its starting end and moving it toward the terminal end, and the flat surface is formed to extend diagonally upward from the starting end toward the terminal end in the direction opposite to the direction of rotation, as described in claim 3.

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