Superheated steam generating unit and heat treatment system using same

Abstract

The superheated steam generating unit 1 includes a first heat insulating structure 11 having a saturated steam inlet 11a or a water inlet and a closed end 11b and a first open end, a hairpin-shaped conductive hollow tube heater 12 provided between the saturated steam inlet 11a or the water inlet and the closed end 11b in the first heat insulating structure 11 and comprising a plurality of straight portions 12-1 to 12-6 and a plurality of folded portions 12-7 to 12-11 that fold back the respective straight portions 12-1 to 12-6, and a hairpin-shaped conductive hollow tube heater 12 having a plurality of folded portions 12-7 to 12-11 that fold back the respective straight portions 12-1 to 12-6. The heater includes a superheated steam discharge nozzle 12a provided midway through the hairpin-shaped conductive hollow tube heater 12 for discharging superheated steam in the hairpin-shaped conductive hollow tube heater 12 toward the first open end, and insulator structures 16', 17a, 17b, 18a, 18b provided between the first insulation structure 11 and the straight portions 12-1 to 12-6 of the hairpin-shaped conductive hollow tube heater 12 for slidably holding the straight portions 12-1 to 12-6.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a superheated steam generating unit and a heat treatment system using the same. [Background technology]

[0002] There is known a superheated steam generating unit that uses superheated steam without using energy derived from fossil fuels such as heavy oil, kerosene, and gas. Note that superheated steam is obtained by further heating saturated steam, and has a lower oxygen content than saturated steam, so that heat treatment products such as water, dry distillation gas, etc. are not oxidized or burned. Therefore, superheated steam is widely used in dehydration heat treatment, oil extraction heat treatment, drying heat treatment, carbonization heat treatment, activation heat treatment, etc.

[0003] A non-fossil fuel based superheated steam generating unit includes an electrically powered conductive hollow tube heater attached to an insulated structure having a saturated steam (or water) inlet and a superheated steam outlet (or closed end).

[0004] FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a first conventional superheated steam generating unit (see Patent Document 1).

[0005] 9, a spiral conductive hollow tube heater 102 made of an alloy of Inconel, Hastelloy or stainless steel is provided from a saturated steam (or water) inlet 101a to a superheated steam outlet 101b in a cylindrical thermal insulation structure 101. A saturated steam side electrode 103a provided with a heat sink 103a-1 is provided on the saturated steam inlet 101a side of the spiral conductive hollow tube heater 102, while a superheated steam side electrode 103b provided with a heat sink 103b-1 is provided on the superheated steam outlet 101b side of the spiral conductive hollow tube heater 102. When a DC or AC voltage is applied between the saturated steam side electrode 103a and the superheated steam side electrode 103b, the spiral conductive hollow tube heater 102 is heated, and the saturated steam in the spiral conductive hollow tube heater 102 becomes superheated steam, which is sent to the heat treatment unit 300 via the mixer injector 200 as shown by the arrow X. At this time, the inside of the mixer injector 200 becomes negative pressure, and the superheated steam Z that has returned from the heat treatment unit 300 via the return pipe 400, together with the superheated steam Y from the superheated steam discharge nozzle 102a of the spiral conductive hollow tube heater 102, is reheated by the infrared rays of the spiral conductive hollow tube heater 102 and sent as superheated steam Z from the mixer injector 200 to the heat treatment unit 300.

[0006] A spiral conductive hollow tube heater 102 is firmly fixed to a cylindrical heat insulating structure 101 by a number of retaining insulators 104 .

[0007] However, in the first conventional superheated steam generation unit 100 shown in FIG. 9, it is not easy to process the spiral conductive hollow tube heater 102 into a spiral shape, which results in high manufacturing costs, and when firmly fixed by the retaining insulator 104, the spiral conductive hollow tube heater 102 is easily damaged due to thermal expansion and contraction in the longitudinal direction.

[0008] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a second conventional superheated steam generating unit (see Patent Document 2).

[0009] In the superheated steam generating unit 500 of Fig. 10, a hairpin-shaped conductive hollow tube heater 502 made of an alloy such as Inconel, Hastelloy or stainless steel is provided in a rectangular parallelepiped heat insulating structure 501 from a saturated steam (or water) inlet 501a toward a closed end 501b. In this case, the hairpin-shaped conductive hollow tube heater 502 is composed of a straight portion and a folded portion where the straight portion is folded back. A saturated steam side electrode 503a is provided on the saturated steam inlet 501a side of the hairpin-shaped conductive hollow tube heater 502, while a closed end 501b side of the hairpin-shaped conductive hollow tube heater 502 is provided. When a DC or AC voltage is applied between the saturated vapor side electrode 503a and the closed end side electrode 503b, the hairpin-shaped conductive hollow tube heater 502 is heated, and the saturated vapor P in the hairpin-shaped conductive hollow tube heater 502 becomes superheated vapor Q, which is then discharged from the superheated vapor discharge nozzle 502a of the hairpin-shaped conductive hollow tube heater 502 into a heat treatment unit (not shown).

[0010] The folded portion of the hairpin-shaped conductive hollow tube heater 502 is firmly fixed to the rectangular parallelepiped heat insulating structure 501 by a number of retaining insulators 504 .

[0011] Therefore, in the second conventional superheated steam generating unit 500 shown in FIG. 10, the hairpin-shaped conductive hollow tube heater 502 is easily bent and processed due to its tubular structure, so that the manufacturing cost is low. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0012] [Patent Document 1] JP 2008-75891 A (Patent No. 4227637 A) [Patent Document 2] JP 2007-298223 A (Patent No. 4227629 A) Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0013] However, in the second conventional superheated steam generation unit shown in FIG. 10 , when the folded portion of the hairpin-shaped conductive hollow tube heater 502 is firmly fixed by the retaining insulator 504, there is a problem that the hairpin-shaped conductive hollow tube heater 502 is easily damaged due to thermal expansion and contraction of the straight portion of the hairpin-shaped conductive hollow tube heater 502. [Means for solving the problem]

[0014] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the superheated steam generation unit of the present invention comprises a first insulation structure having a saturated steam inlet or water inlet and a blocked end and a first open end, a hairpin-shaped conductive hollow tube heater provided between the saturated steam inlet or water inlet and the blocked end in the first insulation structure and consisting of a plurality of straight sections and a plurality of folded sections that fold back each straight section, a superheated steam discharge nozzle provided halfway in the hairpin-shaped conductive hollow tube heater for discharging superheated steam in the hairpin-shaped conductive hollow tube heater toward the first open end, and an insulator structure provided between the first insulation structure and the straight section of the hairpin-shaped conductive hollow tube heater for slidably holding the straight section.

[0015] Moreover, a heat treatment system according to the present invention includes the above-mentioned superheated steam generating unit, and a heat treatment unit provided at an open end of the superheated steam generating unit. Effect of the Invention

[0016] According to the present invention, the insulator structure allows the straight portion of the hairpin-shaped conductive hollow-tube heater to thermally expand and contract, thereby preventing damage to the hairpin-shaped conductive hollow-tube heater. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0017] [Figure 1] 1A and 1B show a first embodiment of a superheated steam generating unit according to the present invention, in which (A) is a top view, (B) is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in (A), and (C) is a cross-sectional view taken along line CC in (A). [Diagram 2] 2A and 2B show the details of the insulator structure in FIG. 1, where (A) is a bottom view and (B) is a cross-sectional view. [Diagram 3]Shows a second embodiment of the superheated steam generation unit according to the present invention, (A) is a cross-sectional view, and (B) is a view taken along the arrow B-B of (A). [Figure 4] Shows a first heat treatment system using the superheated steam generation unit of FIG. 1, (A) is a top view, and (B) is a front view. [Diagram 5] Shows a second heat treatment system using the superheated steam generation unit of FIG. 3, (A) is a top view, and (B) is a front view. [Figure 6] It is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the control unit of FIGS. 4 and 5. [Figure 7] Shows a third heat treatment system using the superheated steam generation unit of FIG. 1 (FIG. 3), (A) is a top view, and (B) is a front view. [Figure 8] It is a right side view of a partial cross-section of the superheated steam generation unit of FIG. 7. [Figure 9] It is a diagram showing a first conventional superheated steam generation unit. [Figure 10] It is a diagram showing a second conventional superheated steam generation unit.

Example

[0018] FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment of the superheated steam generation unit according to the present invention, (A) is a top view, (B) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line B-B of (A), and (C) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line C-C of (A). The superheated steam generation unit of FIG. 1 is for high-temperature superheated steam of a one-stage type, for example, 700 to 800 °C.

[0019] In FIG. 1, the single-stage superheated steam generating unit 1 has an airtight rectangular parallelepiped heat insulating structure 11, which is made up of a heat insulating material 111 around the top, a joint material (also a heat insulating material) 112 around a part of the periphery, a stainless steel frame 113 covering the heat insulating material 111 and the joint material 112, a handle 114 on the top of the stainless steel frame 113, and a mounting plate 115 on the bottom of the stainless steel frame 113. The heat insulating material 111 is, for example, a felt or plate-shaped molding material in which inorganic and organic binders are added to bulk fiber. The joint material 112 is a hard heat insulating material, for example, concrete. The bottom of the rectangular parallelepiped heat insulating structure 11 is opened by an open end OP1, and a heating plate 14 is fitted into it. A saturated steam (or water) inlet 11a and a closed end 11b are inserted and fixed into the joint material 112.

[0020] In the superheated steam generating unit 1, a hairpin-shaped conductive hollow tube heater 12 made of an alloy such as Inconel, Hastelloy, or stainless steel is provided in a rectangular parallelepiped heat insulating structure 11 from a saturated steam (or water) inlet 11a to a closed end 11b. In this case, the hairpin-shaped conductive hollow tube heater 12 also has, for example, six straight portions 12-1 to 12-6 and five folded portions 12-7 to 12-11 that fold back the straight portions 12-1 to 12-6. A saturated steam side electrode 13a provided with a heat sink 13a-1 is provided on the saturated steam inlet 11a side of the hairpin-shaped conductive hollow tube heater 12, and a superheated steam side electrode 13b provided with a heat sink 13b-1 is provided on the closed end 11b side of the hairpin-shaped conductive hollow tube heater 12. When a DC or AC voltage is applied between the saturated steam side electrode 13a and the superheated steam side electrode 13b, the hairpin-shaped conductive hollow tube heater 12 is heated to, for example, about 700°C to 800°C, and the saturated steam P in the hairpin-shaped conductive hollow tube heater 12 becomes superheated steam Q1, and the superheated steam Q1 flows toward the closed end 11b. At this time, the superheated steam Q1 from the superheated steam discharge nozzle 12a in the middle of the hairpin-shaped conductive hollow tube heater 12 is discharged downward from the opening of the heating plate 14. At the same time, the heating plate 14 is heated by radiant heat (far-infrared light) H1 from the hairpin-shaped conductive hollow tube heater 12, and the far-infrared light H1 is discharged downward from the heating plate 14. In this case, the heating plate 14 is an iron plate, for example, stainless steel (SUS304), with the surface sintered with black body ceramic, and a ceramic reflector 15 supported by a reflector stay 15a is provided above the heating plate 14 to increase the far infrared light H1 from the heating plate 14. In this way, high temperature heat treatment is possible by the combined heat of the superheated steam Q1 of, for example, 700°C to 800°C and the far infrared light H1.

[0021] A temperature sensor (thermocouple) 16 is provided in the hairpin-shaped conductive hollow-tube heater 12 for controlling the temperature of the hairpin-shaped conductive hollow-tube heater 12 .

[0022] Next, the insulator structure of the hairpin-shaped conductive hollow tube heater 12 will be described with reference to Fig. 2. For example, six straight portions 12-1 to 12-6 of the hairpin-shaped conductive hollow tube heater 12 are slidably arranged. The insulator is provided with a heat-resistant ceramic vertical holder 16' that functionally holds the ceramic vertical holder 16', stainless steel horizontal holders 17a, 17b that hold the ceramic vertical holder 16' from above and below, a stainless steel stay 18a that fixes the horizontal holders 17a, 17b, and a stainless steel stay 18b that fixes the horizontal holder 17b to the ceiling side of the stainless steel frame 113 via an upper heat insulating member 111. For ease of assembly, the ceramic vertical holder 16' is divided into eight holder pieces 16'-1, 16'-2, ..., 16'-8. That is, the insulator structure is composed of the ceramic vertical holders 16' (16'-1, 16'-2, ..., 16'-8), the horizontal holders 17a, 17b, and the stays 18a, 18b. In this case, the ceramic vertical holder 16' has an opening with a diameter of, for example, 30 mm, which is larger than the diameter of the straight portions 12-1 to 12-6, for example, 20 mm. Therefore, even if the straight portions 12-1 to 12-6 of the hairpin-shaped conductive hollow tube heater 12 thermally expand and contract, the straight portions 12-1 to 12-6 of the hairpin-shaped conductive hollow tube heater 12 easily slide within the opening of the ceramic vertical holder 16', and are therefore unlikely to be damaged. Note that the folded portions 12-7 to 12-11 of the hairpin-shaped conductive hollow tube heater 12 also thermally expand and contract, but the amount of thermal expansion is smaller than that of the straight portions 12-1 to 12-6. However, if the folded portions 12-7 to 12-11 of the hairpin-shaped conductive hollow tube heater 12 were firmly fixed, the thermal expansion and contraction of the straight portions 12-1 to 12-6 of the hairpin-shaped conductive hollow tube heater 12 would be prevented, making the hairpin-shaped conductive hollow tube heater 12 more susceptible to damage. Therefore, the folded portions 12-7 to 12-11 of the hairpin-shaped conductive hollow tube heater 12 are left unconstrained.

[0023] 1, the heating plate 14 is provided, but it is not necessary to provide the heating plate 14. In this case, the effect of the far-infrared light H1 disappears, and only the effect of the superheated steam Q1 remains.

[0024] Fig. 3 shows a second embodiment of the superheated steam generating unit according to the present invention, where (A) is a cross-sectional view and (B) is a view taken along line BB in (A). The superheated steam generating unit in Fig. 3 is a two-stage type for superheated steam at ultra-high temperatures of, for example, 1000°C to 1600°C.

[0025] In Fig. 3, a two-stage superheated steam generating unit 2 is constructed by adding a superheated steam generating function to the superheated steam generating unit 1 in Fig. 1. That is, an airtight rectangular parallelepiped insulation structure 21 consisting of a heat insulating material 211, a stainless steel frame 212 covering the heat insulating material 211, and a mounting plate 213 at the lower part of the heat insulating material 211 is added, and instead of the heating plate 14 provided at the open end OP1 in Fig. 1, a heating plate 14' for passing the superheated steam Q1 is provided at the upper open end OP2 of the rectangular parallelepiped insulation structure 21, and a heating plate 24 is provided at the lower open end OP3 of the rectangular parallelepiped insulation structure 21. At this time, the superheated steam discharge nozzle 12a passes through the opening of the heating plate 14' and enters the rectangular parallelepiped insulation structure 21. In addition, a high-temperature heater 22 (for example, KANTHAL, a registered trademark of Sandvik K.K.) made of, for example, molybdenum disilicide (MoSi2) is provided in the rectangular parallelepiped heat insulation structure 21, and therefore, electrodes 23a, 23b of the high-temperature heater 22 are provided in the heating plate 14'. Therefore, the heating plate 14' is thicker than the heating plate 14 in FIG. 1. In this case, when a DC voltage or an AC voltage is applied between the electrodes 23a and 23b, the high-temperature heater 22 is heated and the superheated steam Q1 in the rectangular parallelepiped heat insulation structure 21 becomes superheated steam Q2 having a higher temperature, for example, 1000°C to 1600°C, and the superheated steam Q2 flows toward the heating plate 24. As a result, the superheated steam Q2 is sent downward from the opening of the heating plate 24. At the same time, the heating plate 14' is heated by radiant heat (far-infrared light) H1 from the hairpin-shaped conductive hollow tube heater 12, and the far-infrared light H1 from the heating plate 14' is emitted downward as far-infrared light H2 from the heating plate 24. In this case, the heating plates 14' and 24 are made of high-temperature heat-resistant materials such as tungsten (W), molybdenum (Mo), and ceramics whose surfaces are sintered into black body ceramics. In this way, ultra-high temperature heat treatment is possible by the combined heat of the superheated steam Q2 at, for example, 1000°C to 1600°C and the far-infrared light H2.

[0026] The temperature sensor (thermocouple) 26 is provided in the high-temperature heater 22 and serves to control the temperature of the high-temperature heater 22 .

[0027] 3, the heating plate 24 is provided, but it is not necessary to provide the heating plate 24. In this case, the effect of the far-infrared light H2 disappears, and only the effect of the superheated steam Q2 remains.

[0028] FIG. 4 shows a first heat treatment system using the superheated steam generating unit of FIG. 1, where (A) is a top view and (B) is a front view.

[0029] In FIG. 4, one heat treatment unit 3 is provided for two superheated steam generating units, that is, superheated steam generating units 1-1 and 1-2, as in FIG. 1, but the number of superheated steam generating units is not limited to this.

[0030] In Fig. 4, a power supply unit 43 is provided in common for the grease trap 41, the saturated steam generating unit 42, and the superheated steam generating units 1-1 and 1-2. The saturated steam generating unit 42 heats hot water, for example, at about 80°C, to generate saturated steam at about 100°C to 120°C for the superheated steam generating units 1-1 and 1-2, and is relatively small and electrically driven. An example of the saturated steam generating unit 42 is a light boiler manufactured by Nakamoto Co., Ltd., model number trademark NBC2101R. The saturated steam from the saturated steam generating unit 42 is supplied to the saturated steam inlet 11a of the superheated steam generating units 1-1 and 1-2 via a solenoid valve (not shown).

[0031] The thermal treatment unit 3 has a pyrolysis chamber 31, a screw 32 in the pyrolysis chamber 31, a screw conveyor drive shaft 33, and a geared motor 33' that drives the screw conveyor drive shaft 33. In addition, a hopper 34 is provided above the pyrolysis chamber 31 to feed the material to be treated into the pyrolysis chamber 31.

[0032] Here, pyrolysis will be explained. The oxygen concentration dissolved in normal water at room temperature is about 0.6%. When water is converted into saturated steam, the volume increases by 1600 times. Therefore, the oxygen concentration in the superheated steam Q1 in the pyrolysis chamber 3 is 0.1 to 0.2%, and as a result, the pyrolysis chamber 3 is in an almost oxygen-free state. Therefore, even if the material to be treated is heated by the superheated steam Q1 or far-infrared light H1 at 700°C to 800°C, it is not oxidized or burned, but is instantly decomposed and rendered harmless. This decomposition is called pyrolysis. In this case, the superheated steam Q1 or far-infrared light H1 is transferred to the material to be treated by convection heat transfer as well as the most characteristic condensation heat transfer effect, so that the superheated steam Q1 or far-infrared light H1 acts as thermal energy with high thermal efficiency. The condensation heat transfer effect is such that when the temperature of the heat-treated material is lower than 100°C, superheated steam Q1 or far-infrared light H1 condenses on the material, and the condensation temperature due to the large amount of condensation heat is 100°C, so the material shows a temperature rise similar to that of being heated in boiling water. The amount of condensation is greater the lower the material is, and condensation continues until the material reaches 100°C. In this superheated steam treatment, the material reaches 700°C to 800°C in a short time, and when the falling drying rate period begins, the temperature of the material starts to rise above 100°C.

[0033] In the pyrolysis chamber 3, the material to be treated is fed from a hopper 34 into the pyrolysis chamber 31 and stirred by the screw 32, while pyrolysis proceeds with the superheated steam Q1 and far-infrared light H1 from the superheated steam generating units 1-1 and 1-2. Water is extracted at the beginning of pyrolysis and falls into the drain pot 34' after high-temperature sterilization. The water that falls into the drain pot 34' can be recycled. The oil that falls into the drain pot 34' is sent to the grease trap 41.

[0034] The dry distillation gas G generated at the same time is passed through the dry distillation gas discharge pipe 35 to a cyclone 36 for separating dust, and then to a hot water heat exchanger 36', where it is condensed and liquefied in a liquefaction heat exchanger 36". The dry distillation gas G is a volatile substance obtained at the same time as pyrolyzing non-volatile solid organic matter by igniting it in the absence of air. In the liquefaction heat exchanger 36", the oil obtained is sent to a grease trap 41, while the hot water obtained is sent to a saturated steam generation unit 42, contributing to energy saving in the saturated steam generation unit 42. The condensed liquid is treated in a wastewater treatment machine (not shown) and then discharged. Valuable resources such as oil contained in the condensed and liquefied liquid can be recycled after oil separation and purification in the grease trap 41.

[0035] Furthermore, the pyrolyzed residue R is discharged from a residue discharge gate 37 via a discharge conveyor 38 to a stockyard 39. Metals, stones, carbides, etc. discharged to the stockyard 39 can be recycled.

[0036] The control unit 4 controls the entire heat treatment system of Fig. 4. The control unit 4 is composed of a computer including a central processing unit (CPU), random access memory (RAM), read only memory (ROM), flash memory, analog / digital (A / D) converter, D / A converter, input / output interface, etc. The control unit 4 receives temperatures from temperature sensors 16 of the superheated steam generation units 1-1 and 1-2 to control the hairpin-shaped conductive hollow tube heaters 12 of the superheated steam generation units 1-1 and 1-2, and also controls each part of the heat treatment unit 3.

[0037] In the heat treatment system of Fig. 4, the heating temperature of the conductive hollow tube heater 12 using an alloy such as incone, Hastelloy, or stainless steel is about 800°C to 900°C, and the superheated steam is about 700°C to 800°C. Therefore, the treatment products are organic treatment products such as industrial waste, for example sludge, particularly treatment products with a high carbon content, charcoal, bamboo charcoal, coffee lees, discarded tofu, plant seeds, etc., and by setting the temperature at an appropriate level, the drying process, carbonization process, carbonization process, and activation process can be carried out. In addition, organic sludge can be appropriately treated to produce biomass.

[0038] 4, the heat treatment unit 3 is provided so as to be connected to the heating plate 14 of the superheated steam generating units 1-1 and 1-2, but it may be provided in the superheated steam generating units 1-1 and 1-2 that do not have the heating plate 14. In this case, the effect of the far-infrared light H1 disappears, and only the effect of the superheated steam Q1 remains.

[0039] FIG. 5 shows a second heat treatment system using the superheated steam generating unit of FIG. 3, where (A) is a top view and (B) is a front view.

[0040] In FIG. 5, one heat treatment unit 3 shown in FIG. 5 is provided for two superheated steam generating units, that is, superheated steam generating units 2-1 and 2-2, as shown in FIG. 3, but the number of superheated steam generating units is not limited to this.

[0041] In FIG. 5, the heat treatment unit 3 is provided on the heating plate 24 of the superheated steam generating units 2-1 and 2-2.

[0042] 5, the heating temperature of the high-temperature heater 22 is about 1000° C. to 1600° C., and the superheated steam Q2 is also about 1000° C. to 1600° C. Therefore, the processed materials are inorganic materials, in particular, flame retardants and dehydrated cakes (sludge) from home appliances and IT-related parts, and valuable resources such as tin, gold, and copper can also be recycled.

[0043] The operation of the control unit 4 shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 will be described with reference to the flow chart shown in FIG. All or part of the flowchart in FIG. 6 is stored as a program in the ROM or flash memory of the control unit 4 and executed by a computer.

[0044] First, initial settings are made in step 601. For example, an appropriate temperature for the object to be treated and a treatment time are set.

[0045] Next, in step 602, the saturated steam generating unit 42 is started.

[0046] Next, in step 603, the pyrolysis chamber 31 is started. That is, the geared motor 33' is started to rotate the screw conveyor drive shaft 33. After that, a predetermined amount of material to be treated is manually fed from the hopper 34 into the pyrolysis chamber 31.

[0047] Next, in step 604, the superheated steam generating units 1-1, 1-2 or 2-1, 2-2 are started up.

[0048] Next, in step 605, the temperature T of the temperature sensors 16, 26 (one or both) of the superheated steam generating units 1-1, 1-2 or 2-1, 2-2 is A / D converted and taken in, and it is determined whether T ≧ T0° C. For example, T0 is several hundreds of degrees C. Only when T ≧ T0° C. is the process proceeded to step 606.

[0049] Next, in step 606, a solenoid valve (not shown) between the saturated steam generating unit 42 and the superheated steam generating units 1-1, 1-2 or 2-1, 2-2 is turned on, and saturated steam is supplied from the saturated steam generating unit 42 to the saturated steam inlet 11a (see FIG. 1) of the superheated steam generating units 1-1, 1-2 or 2-1, 2-2. As a result, after about 3 to 5 minutes, the superheated steam Q1 or Q2 of the superheated steam generating units 1-1, 1-2 or 2-1, 2-2 reaches an appropriate temperature, for example, several hundred degrees Celsius higher than T0. After measuring these about 3 to 5 minutes in step 607, a timer for the initially set processing time is started in step 608. At the same time, the cyclone 36, the hot water heat exchanger 36', and the liquefaction heat exchanger 36" are also started.

[0050] Next, in step 609, it is determined whether the processing time of the timer has elapsed, and after the processing time has elapsed, the heat treatment is terminated in step 610. In other words, the saturated steam generating unit 42, the superheated steam generating units 1-1, 1-2 or 2-1, 2-2, the cyclone 36, the hot water heat exchanger 36', the liquefaction heat exchanger 36", etc. are stopped.

[0051] 5, a step of monitoring the temperature of the temperature sensor 26 of the high-temperature heater 23 is added between steps 607 and 608. As a result, when the temperature of the temperature sensor 26 is, for example, 1000° C. to 1600° C., the process proceeds to step 608.

[0052] During the processing time of step 609 in FIG. 6, as described above, the water extraction process of the pyrolyzed product, the solidification and liquefaction process of the dry distillate, and the transport process of the residue to the stockyard 39 are performed.

[0053] 5, the heat treatment unit 3 is provided so as to be connected to the heating plate 24 of the superheated steam generating units 2-1 and 2-2, but it may be provided in the superheated steam generating units 2-1 and 2-2 that do not have the heating plate 24. In this case, the effect of the far-infrared light H2 disappears, and only the effect of the superheated steam Q2 remains.

[0054] In addition, in Figs. 4 and 5, the superheated steam generating units 1-1, 1-2 or 2-1, 2-2 and the heat treatment unit 3 are arranged vertically, but they may be arranged horizontally.

[0055] The heat treatment systems shown in Figures 4 and 5 have superheated steam generation units 1-1, 1-2 or 2-1, 2-2 and are relatively large in size. They are suitable for use in, for example, facilities for treating organically polluted wastewater from sewage treatment plants, food factories, paper and pulp factories, etc., and facilities for treating inorganically polluted wastewater from civil engineering construction sites, water purification plants, metal plating factories, etc.

[0056] Fig. 7 shows a third heat treatment system using one superheated steam generating unit of Fig. 1 or Fig. 3, (A) is a top view, (B) is a front view, and Fig. 8 is a right side view showing a partial cross section of the third heat treatment system of Fig. 7. This third heat treatment system is relatively small. For example, it is suitable for, but not limited to, the treatment of medical waste.

[0057] We will explain about medical waste. Due to its nature, infectious medical waste is likely to cause infection through contact and scattering, and environmental problems due to odors. It is required to store it in a refrigerator, seal it, identify it as waste, and manage its transportation and processing under the manifest system in accordance with the Ministry of the Environment's "Manual for the Disposal of Infectious Medical Waste Based on Waste Disposal," and then store, transport, and process it in an intermediate manner before finally being disposed of, which is expensive to operate. Specifically, after being stored and managed strictly, it is either incinerated within the hospital or incinerated as intermediate processing by a specialized incinerator. If the waste is incompletely landfilled after incineration or illegally dumped, the soil and groundwater may be contaminated by the remaining toxic substances. Therefore, with the current situation of the COVID-19 pandemic, there is an increasing demand for environmentally friendly incinerators.

[0058] Conventional incinerators for medical waste use burners or gas plants capable of high temperature heating. Burners use fuel derived from fossil fuels, and therefore have issues such as global warming caused by carbon dioxide emissions from the combustion of fossil fuels, and the generation of other harmful gases, particularly the treatment of highly toxic carbon monoxide generated by incomplete combustion. On the other hand, gas plants have issues such as the risk of explosion and high manufacturing costs.

[0059] When the heat treatment system shown in Figures 7 and 8 is used for the treatment of medical waste, the following effects are obtained. a) All combustible waste generated within the hospital, mainly infectious medical waste, will be treated within the hospital facilities and will not be taken outside the facilities. b) The treatment involves pyrolysis using high-temperature, normal-pressure superheated steam, and the residue is recycled as a fully carbonized material. c) The process will be all-electric, fossil fuel-free and emission-free.

[0060] Returning to Figs. 7 and 8, one heat treatment unit 3' is provided for the superheated steam generating unit 1 or 2 in Fig. 1 or 3, but the number of superheated steam generating units is not limited to this.

[0061] The heat treatment unit 3' has a pyrolysis chamber 31' but is smaller in size because it does not have the screw 32, the screw conveyor drive shaft 33, and the geared motor 33' that drives the screw conveyor drive shaft 33 shown in Figures 4 and 5. Also, instead of the hopper 34 shown in Figures 4 and 5, a treatment material inlet 44 is provided on the side wall of the pyrolysis chamber 31'.

[0062] When the material to be treated is fed into the pyrolysis chamber 31' through the material feed port 44, the superheated steam Q1 (Q2) and far-infrared light H1 (H2) from the superheated steam generating unit 1 (2) cause the pyrolysis of the material. For example, if the material to be treated is medical waste, combustible waste such as organs and waste removed from surgery, diapers generated at nursing care sites, and defective medicines are pyrolyzed. Water is extracted at the beginning of the pyrolysis and falls into the drain pot 34' after high-temperature sterilization. The water that falls into the drain pot 34' can be recycled. In addition, the oil that falls into the drain pot 34' is sent to the grease trap 41.

[0063] The dry distillation gas G generated at the same time is passed through the dry distillation gas discharge pipe 35 to the cyclone 36 for separating dust, the hot water heat exchanger 36', and then condensed and liquefied in the liquefaction heat exchanger 36". The condensed liquid is treated in the wastewater treatment unit 45 and then discharged. The dry distillation gas G is a volatile substance obtained at the same time as the thermal decomposition of non-volatile solid organic matter by ignition in the absence of air. The oil obtained in the liquefaction heat exchanger 36" is sent to the grease trap 41, and the hot water obtained is sent to the saturated steam generation unit 42, contributing to the energy saving of the saturated steam generation unit 42. Therefore, no odor or gas is generated. Valuable resources such as oil contained in the condensed and liquefied liquid can be recycled after oil separation and purification in the grease trap 41.

[0064] Furthermore, the pyrolyzed residue R is discharged from a residue discharge gate 37 via a discharge conveyor 38 to a stockyard 39. Metals, stones, carbides, etc. discharged to the stockyard 39 can be recycled.

[0065] The control unit 4' controls the entire heat treatment system shown in Figures 7 and 8. The control unit 4' receives the temperature from the temperature sensor 16 of the superheated steam generating unit 1(2) to control the hairpin-shaped conductive hollow tube heater 12 of the superheated steam generating unit 1(2), and also controls each part of the heat treatment unit 3'.

[0066] The operation of the control unit 4' in Figures 7 and 8 is also performed based on the flowchart in Figure 6, but in step 603, a predetermined amount of material to be treated is simply manually fed into the pyrolysis chamber 31' through the material to be treated inlet 44.

[0067] 1 and 3, the rectangular parallelepiped heat insulating structures 11 and 21 do not have to be rectangular parallelepiped, and may be polygonal or cylindrical, for example.

[0068] In addition to the above-mentioned industrial waste, such as sludge and medical waste, the processed materials in Figures 4, 5, 7, and 8 include frozen food ingredients, raw materials such as coal, wood, and bamboo. Frozen food ingredients can be thawed by processing, making them suitable for convenience store vendors. By processing raw materials such as coal, wood, and bamboo, gas fuel, anthracite, activated carbon, charcoal, bamboo charcoal, etc. can be separated.

[0069] Furthermore, the present invention can be applied to any modifications within the obvious scope of the above-described embodiments. [Explanation of symbols]

[0070] 1, 1-1, 1-2: Superheated steam generation unit 11: Rectangular heat insulating structure 111: Insulation material 112: Joint material 113: Stainless steel frame 114: Toride 115: Mounting plate 11a: Saturated steam inlet 11b: Closed end 12: Hairpin-shaped conductive hollow tube heater 12-1~12-6: Straight section 12-7~12-11: Turning section 12a: Superheated steam discharge nozzle 13a: Saturated vapor side electrode 13a-1: Heat sink 13b: Closed end electrode 13b-1: Heat sink 14, 14': Heating plate 15: Reflector 15a: Reflector stay 16: Temperature sensor 16': Vertical holder 16'-1, 16'-2, ..., 16'-8: Holder pieces 17a, 17b: Horizontal holder 18a, 18b: Stay OP1: First open end P: Saturated steam (or water) Q1: Superheated steam H1: Far infrared light G: Carbonization gas R:Residue 2, 2-1, 2-2: Superheated steam generation unit 21: Rectangular heat insulating structure 211: Insulation material 212: Stainless steel frame 213: Mounting plate 22: High temperature heater 23a, 23b: Electrode 23a-1: Heat sink 24: Heating plate 26: Temperature sensor OP2: Second open end OP3: Third open end Q2: Superheated steam H2: Far infrared light 3, 3': Heat treatment unit 31, 31': Pyrolysis chamber 32: Screw 33: Screw conveyor drive shaft 33': Geared motor 34: Hopper 34': Drain pot 35: Dry distillation gas exhaust pipe 36: Cyclone 36': Heat exchanger for hot water 36”: Liquefaction heat exchanger 37: Residue removal gate 38: Slow cooling conveyor 39: Stockyard 4, 4': Control unit 41: Grease trap 42: Saturated steam generation unit 43: Power supply unit 44: Processing material inlet 45: Wastewater treatment unit 100: Superheated steam generation unit 101: Cylindrical heat insulating structure 101a: Saturated steam inlet 101b: Superheated steam outlet 102: Spiral conductive hollow tube 102a: Superheated steam discharge nozzle 103a: Saturated vapor side electrode 103a-1: Heat sink 103b: Superheated steam side electrode 103b-1: Heat sink 104: Retaining insulator 200: Mixing injector 300: Heat treatment unit 400: Reflux tube X, Y, Z: Superheated steam 500: Superheated steam generation unit 501: Rectangular heat insulating structure 501a: Saturated steam inlet 501b: Closed end 502: Hairpin-shaped conductive hollow tube heater 502a: Superheated steam discharge nozzle 503a: Saturated vapor side electrode 503b: Closed end electrode 504: Retaining insulator

Claims

1. a first thermal insulation structure (11) having a saturated steam inlet (11a) or a water inlet and a closed end (11b) and having a first open end (OP1); a hairpin-shaped conductive hollow tube heater (12) provided in the first thermal insulation structure (11) between the saturated steam inlet (11a) or the water inlet and the closed end (11b), the hairpin-shaped conductive hollow tube heater (12) comprising a plurality of straight portions (12-1 to 12-6) and a plurality of folded portions (12-7 to 12-11) folding back each of the straight portions (12-1 to 12-6); a superheated steam discharge nozzle (12a) provided in the middle of the hairpin-shaped conductive hollow tube heater (12) for discharging the superheated steam (Q1) in the hairpin-shaped conductive hollow tube heater (12) toward the first open end (OP1); an insulator structure (16', 17a, 17b, 18a, 18b) provided between the first heat insulating structure (11) and the straight portions (12-1 to 12-6) of the hairpin-shaped conductive hollow tube heater (12), for slidably holding the straight portions (12-1 to 12-6); A superheated steam generating unit comprising:

2. The superheated steam generation unit of claim 1, wherein the insulator structure (16', 17a, 17b, 18a, 18b) has an opening with a diameter larger than the diameter of the straight portions (12-1 to 12-6) and is provided with a heat-resistant holder (16') for passing the straight portions (12-1 to 12-6).

3. The superheated steam generating unit of claim 1, further comprising a first heating plate (14) provided at the first open end (OP1) and having an opening for passing the superheated steam discharge nozzle (12a).

4. The superheated steam generating unit according to claim 1, wherein the folded portions (12-7 to 12-11) are in an unconstrained state.

5. Further, a second thermal insulation structure (21) having a second open end (OP2) connected to the first open end (OP1) of the first thermal insulation structure (11) and a third open end (OP3) opposite to the second open end (OP2); a high-temperature heater (22) provided in the second thermal insulation structure (21) and having a higher temperature than the hairpin-shaped conductive hollow tube heater (12); 2. The superheated steam generating unit of claim 1, comprising:

6. The superheated steam generating unit of claim 5, further comprising a second heating plate (14') provided at the second open end (OP2) of the second insulation structure (21) and having an opening for passing the superheated steam discharge nozzle (12a).

7. The superheated steam generating unit according to claim 6, wherein the high temperature heater (22) is provided on the second heating plate (14').

8. The superheated steam generating unit of claim 5, further comprising a third heating plate (24) provided at the third open end (OP3) of the second insulation structure (21) and having an opening for passing the superheated steam (Q2).

9. A superheated steam generating unit (1, 2) according to claim 1 or claim 5; a heat treatment unit (3) connected to the first open end (OP1) or the third open end (OP3); A heat treatment system comprising:

10. The heat treatment unit (3) comprises: a pyrolysis chamber (31) for receiving the superheated steam (Q1, Q2) from the superheated steam generation units (1, 2) and pyrolyzing a material to be treated; a moisture extraction means (34') for extracting the moisture extracted in the pyrolysis chamber (31); a condensation and liquefaction means (36, 36', 36") for condensing and liquefying the pyrolysis gas (G) generated by the pyrolysis of the treated material in the pyrolysis chamber (31); a residue discharge means (38) for discharging a residue (R) obtained by pyrolysis of the treated material in the pyrolysis chamber; The thermal processing system of claim 9 comprising:

11. The pyrolysis chamber (31) comprises: A screw (32) for stirring the material to be treated; a drive means (33, 33') for driving the screw (32); The thermal processing system of claim 10 comprising:

12. 11. The thermal treatment system of claim 10, further comprising a hopper (34) for depositing the material to be treated above the pyrolysis chamber.

13. 11. The thermal treatment system of claim 10, further comprising a material input port (44) in a sidewall of the pyrolysis chamber for inputting the material to be treated.

14. The heat treatment system according to claim 10, wherein the object to be treated is industrial waste.

15. The heat treatment system according to claim 10, wherein the object to be treated is medical waste.

16. The heat treatment system according to claim 10, wherein the object to be treated is a frozen food material.

17. The heat treatment system according to claim 10, wherein the material to be treated is a raw material such as coal, wood, bamboo, etc.

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