Saccharide generation assistance device, saccharide generation device using same, and saccharide generation assistance method

Abstract

The present invention comprises: a decomposition condition input unit to which decomposition conditions, a target amount, the kind of decomposition product, and a decomposition target material are inputted; a measurement data acquisition unit which acquires measurement data of at least either of the state of the decomposition target material to be decomposed or an emerging product that emerges through decomposition of the decomposition target material; an analysis data accumulation unit which accumulates analysis data on the state of polysaccharides constituting biomass in a decomposition process for each of the conditions, the emerging product that emerges through decomposition of the polysaccharides, and reaction products generated in the decomposition process; a reaction product estimation unit which estimates, on the basis of the decomposition conditions, the measurement data, and the accumulated analysis data, the reaction products generated through decomposition of the decomposition target material; a determination unit which selects the decomposition product from the estimated reaction products and determines whether or not the generated amount of the decomposition product has reached the target amount; and a control unit which performs control in which, when the determination unit determines that the target amount has been reached, supply of energy or a substance for decomposing the polysaccharides is stopped, and when the determination unit determines that the target amount has not been reached, the supply is continued.

Description

Sugar production assisting device, sugar production device using the same, and sugar production assisting method

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a sugar production assisting device, a sugar production apparatus using the same, and a sugar production assisting method.

[0002] In recent years, biofuels derived from organic resources (biomass) derived from living organisms have been attracting attention as an alternative fuel to petroleum. By decomposing polysaccharides such as cellulose contained in biomass into monosaccharides having one formyl group, carbonyl group, or the like, useful fuels such as bioethanol can be produced. Methods for decomposing polysaccharides include, for example, oxidation using strong acids such as sulfuric acid and enzymatic decomposition using enzymes. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a sugar solution production apparatus that produces a sugar solution by hydrolyzing polysaccharides derived from lignocellulosic biomass using a catalyst. Patent Document 1 also discloses a method for estimating the concentration of cellulose and hemicellulose hydrolysates by measuring the load required for stirring to understand the progress of the reaction.

[0003] JP 2014-11969 A

[0004] However, with conventional techniques, it was difficult to grasp the progress of the reaction, which differs depending on the type of material being decomposed and the means used to decompose polysaccharides, and it was difficult to improve the yield of monosaccharides and terminate the reaction.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a sugar production assistance device that can grasp the progress of decomposition reactions of various biomass materials as decomposition targets and can terminate the reactions while improving the yield of the target sugars. It also aims to provide a sugar production device and a sugar production assistance method using the same.

[0006] The sugar production assisting device according to the present disclosure is a sugar production assisting device that controls the supply of substances or energy that decompose polysaccharides to decompose a decomposition target material containing polysaccharides to produce decomposition products, and includes a decomposition condition input unit that inputs the type of decomposition target material and the target decomposition product, the target amount of the decomposition product, and the decomposition conditions for decomposing the decomposition target material; a measurement data acquisition unit that acquires measurement data that measures data related to at least one of the state of the decomposition target material decomposed under the decomposition conditions and the products generated by the decomposition of the decomposition target material; and a measurement data acquisition unit that acquires measurement data related to at least one of the state of a plurality of biomasses or polysaccharides that constitute the biomass in the decomposition process for each condition and the products generated by the decomposition, and the products generated by the decomposition, and the products generated by the decomposition in the decomposition process for each condition. the analysis data storage unit storing analysis data relating to the reaction products generated by the decomposition of the material to be decomposed; a reaction product estimation unit that estimates the reaction products generated by the decomposition of the material to be decomposed from the decomposition conditions input to the decomposition condition input unit, the measurement data acquired by the measurement data acquisition unit, and the analysis data stored in the analysis data storage unit; a judgment unit that selects the target decomposition product input to the decomposition condition input unit from the reaction products estimated by the reaction product estimation unit and judges whether the amount of the selected decomposition product generated has reached a target amount; and a control unit that stops the supply of material or energy when the judgment unit determines that the target amount has been reached, and continues the supply of material or energy when the judgment unit determines that the target amount has not been reached.

[0007] The sugar production device according to the present disclosure comprises a sugar production support device according to the present disclosure, a reaction tank for containing a decomposition target, a decomposition unit that supplies substances or energy to decompose the decomposition target in response to instructions from the sugar production support device, and a measurement unit that measures data relating to at least one of the state of the decomposition target and products generated by the decomposition of the decomposition target, and transmits the measurement data to a measurement data acquisition unit of the sugar production support device.

[0008] The sugar production method disclosed herein is a sugar production support method for decomposing a polysaccharide-containing decomposition target material to produce decomposition products by controlling the supply of substances or energy that decompose the polysaccharides, and includes the steps of: inputting the type of decomposition target material and the type of target decomposition product, the target amount of the decomposition product, and the decomposition conditions for decomposing the decomposition target material; acquiring measurement data measuring at least one of the state of the decomposition target material decomposed under the decomposition conditions and data related to products generated by the decomposition of the decomposition target material; estimating the reaction products generated by the decomposition of the decomposition target material from the decomposition conditions, the measurement data, and at least one of data related to the state of a plurality of biomass in the decomposition process for each condition and products generated by the decomposition, and accumulated analysis data related to the reaction products generated in the decomposition process for each condition; selecting the input target decomposition product from the estimated reaction products and determining whether the amount of the selected decomposition product has reached the target amount; and controlling the supply of the substance or energy to stop if it is determined that the target amount has been reached, and to continue the supply of the substance or energy if it is determined that the target amount has not been reached.

[0009] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to grasp the progress of decomposition reactions using various biomasses as decomposition targets, and to improve the yield of the target sugars.

[0010] FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a sugar production device according to embodiment 1. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram explaining the sugar production assisting device according to embodiment 1. FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram explaining the sugar production assisting device according to embodiment 1. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram explaining the sugar production assisting device according to embodiment 1. FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram explaining the sugar production assisting device according to embodiment 1. FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a processing flow executed by the sugar production assisting device according to embodiment 1. FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram explaining the sugar production assisting device according to embodiment 1. FIG. 8 is a schematic configuration diagram showing an example of a processing circuit that realizes each function of the sugar production assisting device according to embodiment 1. FIG. 9 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a sugar production device according to embodiment 2. FIG. 10 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a sugar production device according to embodiment 3.

[0011] The following description of the embodiments will be made with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which the same reference numerals are used to designate the same contents and corresponding parts, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0012] 1 is a schematic diagram showing a sugar production apparatus 200 according to embodiment 1. The sugar production apparatus 200 includes a reaction vessel 21 that contains a decomposition target 11 containing polysaccharides, a decomposition unit 22 that supplies substances or energy to decompose the decomposition target 11 in the reaction vessel 21, a state measurement unit 23 that measures data related to the state of the decomposition target 11 in the reaction vessel 21, a generated product measurement unit 24 that measures data related to products generated by the decomposition of the decomposition target 11, and a sugar production support apparatus 100 that is connected to the state measurement unit 23, the generated product measurement unit 24, and the decomposition unit 22.

[0013] The sugar production assisting device 100 includes a decomposition condition input unit 12 for inputting the type of decomposition target 11 and the target decomposition product, the target amount of the decomposition product, and the decomposition conditions for decomposing the decomposition target 11; a measurement data acquisition unit 13 for acquiring measurement data obtained by measuring data on at least one of the state of the decomposition target 11 decomposed under the input decomposition conditions and products generated by the decomposition of the decomposition target 11; an analysis data storage unit 14 for storing analysis data on at least one of the state of a plurality of biomass in the decomposition process for each condition and products generated by the decomposition, and reaction products generated in the decomposition process for each condition; and a measurement data acquisition unit 13 for acquiring measurement data obtained by measuring data on at least one of the state of the decomposition target 11 in the decomposition process for each condition and products generated by the decomposition, and reaction products generated in the decomposition process for each condition. The system is equipped with a reaction product estimation unit 15 that estimates reaction products resulting from the decomposition of the decomposition target 11 from the data and the analysis data accumulated in the analysis data accumulation unit 14, a judgment unit 16 that selects the desired decomposition product input to the decomposition condition input unit 12 from the reaction products estimated by the reaction product estimation unit 15 and judges whether the amount of the selected decomposition product produced has reached the target amount, and a control unit 17 that controls the supply of substances or energy that decompose polysaccharides to be stopped if the judgment unit 16 judges that the target amount has been reached, and continues the supply of substances or energy that decompose polysaccharides if it judges that the target amount has not been reached, thereby assisting in the decomposition of the decomposition target 11 containing polysaccharides to produce low molecular weight sugars such as monosaccharides and oligosaccharides.

[0014] Here, reaction products are defined as products produced during the process of decomposing biomass, and decomposition products are defined as low-molecular-weight sugars such as monosaccharides and oligosaccharides that can be decomposed into target products by the sugar production device 200. The state refers to the temperature, weight, moisture content, pH, dissolved oxygen concentration, electrical conductivity, viscosity, absorbance, suspended solids concentration, dissolved ozone concentration, etc. of the decomposition target material 11 during the decomposition process, and varies depending on the decomposition conditions. The generated product refers to gas, liquid, etc. generated during the decomposition process. The decomposition conditions include the type of substance or energy that decomposes polysaccharides, and the decomposing substance is ozone, enzyme, acid, electrolyte, etc., and the energy is heat, etc.

[0015] The reaction tank 21 is provided with a decomposition target supply pipe 211 for supplying the decomposition target 11, a decomposition target discharge pipe 212 for discharging the decomposition target 11, and a switching valve 213 for opening and closing each of these pipes, through which the decomposition target 11 is supplied or discharged. The decomposition target supply pipe 211 and the decomposition target discharge pipe 212 may be shared as one pipe. The reaction tank 21 and the decomposition unit 22 are connected by piping, and decomposition gas, decomposition liquid, etc. that decompose polysaccharides are introduced into the reaction tank 21 through the piping. When the decomposition gas, decomposition liquid, etc. are introduced into the reaction tank 21, they react with the decomposition target 11, initiating a decomposition reaction of the polysaccharides. When the supply of the substance or energy that decomposes the polysaccharides by the decomposition gas, decomposition liquid, etc. is stopped, the decomposition reaction of the polysaccharides is stopped. The decomposition unit 22 may be, for example, an ozone generator that supplies ozone as a decomposition gas, a heater that supplies heat, an enzyme tank that supplies enzymes, an acid solution tank that supplies acid, an electrolyte tank that supplies electrolyte, etc., or a combination thereof.

[0016] When using bark as biomass, for example, the main components are cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin. Cellulose has the molecular formula (C6H 10 O5)n (n is 10 or more in a broad sense), if it can be completely broken down into its constituent units, it can be broken down into monosaccharides (n = 1), such as glucose CH 12 O6 can be obtained in high yields, and fuels such as bioethanol can be produced. On the other hand, hemicellulose has a branched structure, so its decomposition is greatly restricted by the side chains. Lignin has an even more complex three-dimensional structure.

[0017] Biomass typically contains a mixture of polysaccharides in which monosaccharides are intricately linked together in structures such as linear, branched, and three-dimensional structures, as shown schematically in FIG. 2. When these polysaccharides are used as the decomposition target 11 and decomposed in the decomposition unit 22, decomposition of the decomposition target 11 in the reaction vessel 21 begins with, for example, several types of polysaccharides A, B, and C shown in FIG. 3 as starting materials. As shown in FIG. 4, some of the polysaccharides A, B, and C are decomposed to produce other polysaccharides or low-molecular-weight sugars such as oligosaccharide D and monosaccharides E and F. As the decomposition reaction proceeds further, the amounts of monosaccharides E and F, as shown in FIG. 5, increase. FIGS. 3 to 5 schematically show the sugar amounts and sugar types to explain the process of estimating reaction products in the reaction product estimation unit 15. The sugar amounts are expressed as the amounts of monosaccharides as building blocks.

[0018] For example, if the decomposition condition input unit 12 inputs that the decomposition target 11 is tree bark and that an acid saccharification apparatus is used as the decomposition unit 22, the reaction product estimation unit 15 acquires, via the measurement data acquisition unit 13, the state of the decomposition target 11 measured by the state measurement unit 23, such as the temperature, type of acid, and acid concentration, and estimates, from the analysis data of the tree bark accumulated in the analysis data accumulation unit 14, which polysaccharides and monosaccharides are produced as reaction products and in what amounts if the tree bark is the current state of the decomposition target 11 in the reaction tank 21. To improve the accuracy of the estimation, the decomposition condition input unit 12 may also input the specific components of the decomposition target 11, the type of acid, acid concentration, supply flow rate, set temperature, etc. supplied from the acid saccharification apparatus. If a catalyst is used as the decomposition auxiliary, the type of catalyst, the amount added, etc. may be input.

[0019] When an enzymatic saccharification apparatus is used as the decomposition unit 22, the type of enzyme, enzyme concentration, supply flow rate, set temperature, etc. may be similarly input. In each case, it is also possible to estimate the reaction products by identifying the products generated by the decomposition of the decomposition target 11, such as decomposition gases, measured by the product measurement unit 24, and comparing them with the analysis data accumulated in the analysis data accumulation unit 14. Either or both of the data on the state of the decomposition target 11 and the products generated by the decomposition of the decomposition target 11 may be used.

[0020] Furthermore, if the input biomass data is not stored in the analysis data storage unit 14, it may be estimated from the analysis data of similar stored biomass. The estimated analysis data may be sequentially stored in the analysis data storage unit 14. For unknown biomass, reaction products may be analyzed in advance for each decomposition condition and stored in the analysis data storage unit 14. To improve the accuracy of the estimation, appropriate sampling may be performed to confirm the products, and data may be changed or updated to reduce errors.

[0021] FIG. 6 shows a flowchart illustrating the process executed by the sugar production assisting device 100. First, the type of decomposition target 11 and the type of target degradation product, the target amount of the degradation product, and the decomposition conditions for decomposing the decomposition target 11 are input (step S101). Measurement data is then acquired, which measures at least one of the state of the decomposition target 11 decomposed under the input decomposition conditions and data on products generated by the decomposition of the decomposition target 11 (step S102). The reaction products generated by the decomposition of the decomposition target are then estimated based on the decomposition conditions, the measurement data, and at least one of the state and products generated by the decomposition process for each of the multiple biomass conditions, as well as the accumulated analytical data on the reaction products generated by the decomposition process for each condition (step S103). The input target degradation product is then selected from the estimated reaction products (step S104), and it is determined whether the amount of the selected degradation product has reached the target amount (step S105). If it is determined that the amount of the selected degradation product produced has reached the target amount (YES in step S105), the supply of the substance or energy that decomposes the polysaccharide is stopped (step S106).If it is determined that the target amount has not been reached (NO in step S105), the process returns to step S102, where measurement data is acquired, to continue the supply of the substance or energy that decomposes the polysaccharide.

[0022] Furthermore, in step S103, the reaction product estimation unit 15 calculates the sugar amount using the monosaccharides in the target degradation product (for example, monosaccharides E and F in Figures 4 and 5) from among the degradation products of the decomposition target 11 as one constituent unit. The judgment unit 16 then judges that the target amount has been reached if the total sugar amount of monosaccharides E and F is equal to or greater than the target sugar amount. The target sugar amount may be input via the decomposition condition input unit 12 or may be set in advance. The target degradation product may be a portion of the target degradation product, for example, monosaccharide E alone, and it may be judged that the target amount has been reached if the total sugar amount of the selected portion of sugars is equal to or greater than the target sugar amount.

[0023] Furthermore, the reaction product estimation unit 15 calculates the sugar amount using the monosaccharides in the starting material, the decomposition target 11 (e.g., polysaccharides A, B, and C in Figure 3), and the target degradation product among the degradation products of the decomposition target 11 (e.g., monosaccharides E and F in Figures 4 and 5), as one constituent unit, and the determination unit 16 may determine that the target amount has been reached when the ratio of the total sugar amount of the target degradation products, monosaccharides E and F, to the total sugar amount of polysaccharides A, B, and C is equal to or greater than the target ratio. The target sugar amount may be input via the decomposition condition input unit 12 or may be set in advance. The starting material, the decomposition target 11, may be any one of polysaccharides A, B, and C, or the target degradation product may be a part thereof, such as monosaccharide E only.

[0024] The constituent units may be disaccharides, trisaccharides, etc. When it is difficult to calculate the starting material, the decomposition target 11 (polysaccharides A, B, and C in FIG. 3 ), and the total sugar amount of the starting materials, polysaccharides A, B, and C, the sugar amount may be estimated using the starting material, the decomposition target 11, at a stage where the decomposition reaction has progressed to a certain extent.

[0025] Furthermore, to confirm whether the decomposition reaction of the starting material 11 to be decomposed has progressed, the determination unit 16 may determine whether the total sugar amount of the starting material is equal to or less than the polysaccharide sugar amount threshold. The polysaccharide sugar amount threshold may be set in advance, for example, to 5 to 30% of the total sugar amount of the starting material 11 to be decomposed, or may be input via the decomposition condition input unit 12.

[0026] Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 7, the determination unit 16 calculates the rate of change R (R = ΔSa / Δt) of the sugar content Sa of the target degradation product (e.g., monosaccharide E in FIG. 5) over time t among the degradation products of the decomposition target material 11, and if the rate of change R is equal to or less than the threshold value, it may determine that the target amount has been reached and terminate the degradation reaction. If the target sugar content cannot be increased over time, continuing the degradation reaction will lead to overdecomposition and a decrease in the quality of the degradation product. Therefore, if the rate of change R decreases, the supply of substances or energy that decompose the polysaccharides is stopped, and the production of the degradation product is terminated. Since the rate of change R is small at the start of the reaction, it is preferable to manage it in conjunction with the reaction time or the decrease in the total sugar content of the starting material. If there are multiple target degradation products (e.g., monosaccharides E and F in FIG. 5), the rate of change R of the sugar content Sa over time t can be calculated by adding up the sugar contents of the multiple degradation products, and the rate of change threshold can also be determined by adding up the sugar contents.

[0027] In this way, the decomposition condition input unit 12 inputs the type of the decomposition target 11 and the target decomposition product, the target amount of the decomposition product, and the decomposition conditions for decomposing the decomposition target; the measurement data acquisition unit 13 acquires measurement data that measures data relating to at least one of the state of the decomposition target 11 decomposed under the decomposition conditions and the products generated by the decomposition of the decomposition target 11; the analysis data storage unit 14 accumulates analysis data relating to at least one of the state of a plurality of biomasses or polysaccharides that constitute the biomass in the decomposition process for each condition and the products generated by the decomposition, and the reaction products generated in the decomposition process for each condition; the decomposition conditions input to the decomposition condition input unit 12, the measurement data acquired by the measurement data acquisition unit 13, and The system is equipped with a reaction product estimation unit 15 that estimates the reaction products resulting from the decomposition of the target material 11 from the analysis data accumulated in the analysis data accumulation unit 14, a judgment unit 16 that selects the target decomposition product input to the decomposition condition input unit 12 from the reaction products estimated by the reaction product estimation unit 15 and judges whether the amount of the selected decomposition product produced has reached the target amount, and a control unit 17 that stops the supply of substances or energy that decompose polysaccharides when the judgment unit 16 judges that the target amount has been reached, and continues the supply of substances or energy that decompose polysaccharides when it judges that the target amount has not been reached, thereby making it possible to grasp the progress of the decomposition reaction using various biomasses as the target material 11 and improve the yield of the target sugar.

[0028] Furthermore, by determining that the target amount has been reached when the total sugar amount of the target degradation products estimated by the reaction product estimation unit 15 is equal to or greater than the target sugar amount, it is possible to continue degradation when the proportion of monosaccharides is equal to or less than a predetermined value, and to stop degradation when the proportion of monosaccharides is equal to or greater than the predetermined value. It is also possible to prevent excessive degradation.

[0029] In addition, by determining that the target amount has been reached when the ratio of the total sugar amount of the target decomposition product to the total sugar amount of the decomposition product 11, which is the starting material estimated by the reaction product estimation unit 15, is equal to or greater than the target ratio, decomposition can be stopped when the proportion of monosaccharides reaches the target ratio.

[0030] In addition, by determining that the target amount has been reached when the total sugar amount of the starting material, the decomposition target 11, is below the polysaccharide sugar amount threshold, decomposition can be continued when the proportion of polysaccharides is above a predetermined value, and can be stopped when the proportion of polysaccharides is below the predetermined value.

[0031] Furthermore, if the rate of change over time in the sugar amount of the target decomposition product estimated by the reaction product estimation unit 15 is below the change rate threshold, it can be determined that the target amount has been reached, and the decomposition can be stopped if the progress of the decomposition reaction slows down.

[0032] Although the decomposition target 11 has been described as tree bark, the decomposition target 11 may be, for example, biomass such as food raw materials, woody waste, wastewater waste, food waste, livestock manure, agricultural residues, industrial chemicals, etc., and is not particularly limited as long as it contains organic matter. It may be liquid or solid. Examples of food raw materials include sugarcane, sugar beet, rice, corn, wheat, etc.; examples of woody waste include rice straw, wheat straw, rice husks, waste wood, and used paper; and examples of wastewater waste include sewage sludge, human waste sludge, and pulp waste liquid. Combinations of these may also be used. The components of the decomposition target 11 preferably contain a large amount of linear components such as cellulose. It is preferable that the proportion of persistent organic matter such as three-dimensional lignin is low.

[0033] The reaction tank 21 may be either open or closed, as long as it is possible to measure the gas inside the reaction tank 21 or the gas discharged outside the reaction tank 21. The reaction tank 21 may be made of a material such as a rust-resistant metal such as stainless steel (SUS), a general-purpose plastic such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC), or a composite material such as fiber-reinforced plastic (FRP). The decomposition unit 22 may be any device that performs a process that can decompose polysaccharides into monosaccharides. Examples of such devices include treatment devices that perform treatment using acids, catalysts, high temperature and pressure, reduced pressure, biodegradation by microorganisms, ozone, electric fields, enzymes, etc. A combination of these may also be used.

[0034] The state measurement unit 23 measures data regarding the state of the decomposition material 11 in the reaction tank 21, for example, if the decomposition material 11 is solid, it measures the weight, temperature, and moisture content, and if the decomposition material 11 is liquid, it measures the weight, water temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen concentration, dissolved ozone concentration, electrical conductivity, viscosity, absorbance, suspended matter concentration, etc.

[0035] The product measurement unit 24 measures data related to the products generated by the decomposition reaction in the reaction tank 21. For example, if the product is a gas, it measures the gas temperature, pressure, humidity, carbon dioxide concentration, and oxygen concentration; if the product is a liquid, it measures the liquid temperature, weight, pH, dissolved oxygen concentration, ozone gas concentration, electrical conductivity, viscosity, absorbance, and suspended matter concentration.

[0036] The analytical data storage unit 14 stores analytical data obtained by analyzing the sugars in the decomposition target 11. It may be installed at the installation site of the sugar production assisting device 100 and the sugar production device 200, or may exist as a cloud outside the installation site. The reaction product estimation unit 15 can use, as a method for estimating the decomposition reaction, a machine learning model that derives a result (= output) from input data, a physical model that estimates using materials, states, etc. that are close to the actual substance of the target, an experiential learning model that learns from empirical values ​​such as measurement data, etc.

[0037] Furthermore, while the sugar production device 200 is running, the decomposition target material 11 in the reaction tank 21 may be collected through the decomposition target material discharge pipe 212, and analytical data measuring the properties of the decomposition target material 11 may be transmitted to the measurement data acquisition unit 13 or the analytical data storage unit 14. Recording the data together with the reaction time allows for a more accurate understanding of the progress of the decomposition reaction. The concentrations, ratios, etc. of polysaccharides and monosaccharides in the collected decomposition target material 11 may also be measured. To promote the decomposition reaction, the reaction tank 21 may be provided with a stirrer, air diffuser, etc. to uniformly mix the decomposition target material 11. Before starting the sugar production support device 100, the decomposition target material 11 may be pretreated or may be decomposed in advance by the decomposition unit 22. For example, pretreatment may involve crushing and breaking down the decomposition target material 11 to increase the contact area between the decomposition target material 11 and the decomposition substance. Furthermore, for example, treating the decomposition target material 11 with alkali to decompose protein components, lipid components, etc. in the decomposition target material 11 can shorten the decomposition time by the decomposition unit 22. Furthermore, when the decomposition target 11 contains cellulose, the decomposition target 11 can be dissolved in a solution by exposing it to a sodium hydroxide solution, a cuprammonium solution, or the like.

[0038] Here, each function of the sugar production assisting device 100 is realized by a processing circuit. FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a processing circuit that realizes each function of the sugar production assisting device 100. The sugar production assisting device 100 includes a processor 30, a storage device 31, a communication I / F (interface) 32, and the like. The processor 30 may be, for example, a central processing unit (CPU). The storage device 31 transmits and receives data to and from the processor 30 and stores the data. Measurement data measured by the state measurement unit 23, by-product measurement unit 24, and the like is acquired by the measurement data acquisition unit 13 via the communication I / F 32. The calculations and judgments of the reaction product estimation unit 15 and the judgment unit 16 are performed by the processor 30. The analysis data accumulation unit 14 is composed of the storage device 31, and the measurement data acquired by the measurement data acquisition unit 13, the arithmetic equations used by the reaction product estimation unit 15, and the like are also stored in the storage device 31. Commands for the sugar production assisting device 100 are sent from the control unit 17 to the decomposition unit 22 via the communication I / F 32 .

[0039] The processor 30 and the storage device 31 may be shared by one unit or multiple units. The processor 30 may include, for example, an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), an integrated circuit (IC), a digital signal processor (DSP), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), or other logic circuits, as well as various signal processing circuits. Multiple processors 30, of the same type or different types, may be provided, so that each process is shared and executed by multiple arithmetic processing devices.

[0040] The multiple storage devices 31 include, for example, a RAM (Random Access Memory) configured to allow data to be read from and written to the processor 30, a ROM (Read Only Memory) configured to allow data to be read from the processor 30, a hard disk (HDD), etc.

[0041] Each function of the sugar production assisting device 100 is realized by the processor 30 executing software or programs stored in the storage device 31 and working in cooperation with the hardware. The setting data set in the sugar production assisting device 100 may be stored in the storage device 31 as part of the software or program, or may be input by the user. A non-transitory recording medium 311 on which the sugar production assisting program 312 is recorded may be distributed and installed in the storage device 31 of the sugar production assisting device 100.

[0042] Embodiment 2. Figure 9 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a sugar production device 200 according to embodiment 2. This differs from the sugar production device 200 according to embodiment 1 in that an ozone generator 221 is used as the decomposition unit 22 that supplies a substance or energy to decompose the decomposition target 11 in the reaction tank 21, and that an ozone gas supply amount measuring unit 222 that measures the amount of ozone gas supplied from the ozone generator 221 to the reaction tank 21 and an ozone gas supply concentration measuring unit 223 that measures the ozone gas supply concentration are provided, and these are transmitted to the measurement data acquisition unit 13 of the sugar production support device 100. The rest is the same as in embodiment 1.

[0043] In this embodiment, the ozone generator 221 introduces ozone gas into the reaction tank 21 in response to a command from the sugar production assisting device 100, and decomposes the decomposition target 11 in the reaction tank 21 with the ozone gas. At this time, the ozone generator 221 measures at least one of the amount, concentration, and supply time of the ozone gas supplied, and transmits the measurement data to the measurement data acquiring unit 13 of the sugar production assisting device 100. The reaction product estimating unit 15 of the sugar production assisting device 100 can estimate the reaction products resulting from the decomposition of the decomposition target 11 by also referring to the data such as the ozone gas supply amount, ozone gas supply concentration, and supply time acquired by the measurement data acquiring unit 13, thereby making it possible to more accurately grasp the progress of the reaction.

[0044] Furthermore, the control unit 17 of the sugar production assisting device 100 can issue commands not only to start, continue, and end the decomposition reaction, but also to change the amount and concentration of ozone gas supplied, which are input into the measurement data acquiring unit 13. In other words, the sugar production assisting device 100 can grasp the progress of the decomposition reaction using various biomass as the decomposition target 11, and can change the ozone generation conditions of the ozone generator 221 to progress the desired decomposition reaction.

[0045] Embodiment 3. Figure 10 is a schematic diagram showing a sugar production device 200 according to embodiment 3. This embodiment differs from the sugar production device 200 according to embodiment 1 in that it includes an online analysis unit 25 that analyzes online measurement data obtained by measuring the state of the decomposition target material 11 in the reaction tank 21 and / or the products generated by the decomposition of the decomposition target material 11, and transmits the online analysis data analyzed by the online analysis unit 25 to at least one of the measurement data acquisition unit 13 and the analysis data storage unit 14 of the sugar production supporting device 100. The rest is the same as embodiment 1.

[0046] The analytical data accumulated in the analytical data accumulation unit 14 relates to the state of polysaccharides constituting multiple biomasses during the decomposition process under each condition, the by-products generated by the decomposition, and the reaction products generated during the decomposition process under each condition. In the present embodiment, the sugar production apparatus 200 measures online data related to the state of the decomposition target 11 in the reaction tank 21 measured by the state measurement unit 23 and the by-products generated by the decomposition of the decomposition target 11 in the reaction tank 21 measured by the by-product measurement unit 24 using the online analysis unit 25. The online analysis unit 25 is, for example, a mass spectrometer, gas chromatography, or the like. The online analysis unit 25 can determine the composition of, for example, the reaction products, decomposition products, and generated gases of the decomposition target 11 in the reaction tank 21, thereby enabling a more accurate understanding of the state within the reaction tank 21. This makes it easier for the reaction product estimation unit 15 to estimate the reaction products, improving reliability.

[0047] The online analysis data analyzed by the online analysis unit 25 may be transmitted to both the measurement data acquisition unit 13 and the analysis data storage unit 14, or may be transmitted to either one. When the measurement data acquisition unit 13 acquires the data, the measurement data acquisition unit 13 transmits the data to the analysis data storage unit 14. The online analysis data analyzed by the online analysis unit 25 may be used as analysis data in the analysis data storage unit 14 as is, or may be processed before use. In this way, by analyzing the measurement data measured in the sugar production device 200 online to estimate the reaction products, the estimation of the reaction products becomes easier and the reliability can be improved.

[0048] Although the first to third embodiments have been described with reference to examples in which one type of decomposing unit 22 is used, two or more types of decomposing unit 22 may be used.

[0049] Although various exemplary embodiments are described in this disclosure, the various features, aspects, and functions described in one or more embodiments are not limited to the application of a particular embodiment, but may be applied to the embodiments alone or in various combinations. Therefore, countless variations not illustrated are contemplated within the scope of the technology disclosed in this specification. For example, this includes cases where at least one component is modified, added, or omitted, and even cases where at least one component is extracted and combined with components of another embodiment.

[0050] DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 Decomposition target substance, 12 Decomposition condition input unit, 13 Measurement data acquisition unit, 14 Analysis data accumulation unit, 15 Reaction product estimation unit, 16 Determination unit, 17 Control unit, 21 Reaction tank, 22 Decomposition unit, 23 State measurement unit, 24 Product measurement unit, 25 Online analysis unit, 100 Sugar production support device, 200 Sugar production device, 211 Decomposition target substance supply pipe, 212 Decomposition target substance discharge pipe, 213 Switching valve, 221 Ozone generator, 222 Ozone gas supply amount measurement unit, 223 Ozone gas supply concentration measurement unit

Claims

1. A sugar production assisting device that controls the supply of a substance or energy that decomposes polysaccharides to decompose a decomposition target material containing the polysaccharides to produce a decomposition product, a decomposition unit that supplies the substance or energy that decomposes the polysaccharide; a decomposition condition input unit for inputting the type of the decomposition target and the target decomposition product, the target amount of the decomposition product, and decomposition conditions for decomposing the decomposition target; a measurement data acquisition unit that acquires measurement data obtained by measuring data relating to at least one of the state of the decomposition target material decomposed under the decomposition conditions and the product generated by the decomposition of the decomposition target material; an analytical data storage unit that stores analytical data on at least one of the states of a plurality of biomasses or polysaccharides constituting the biomasses in a decomposition process under each condition and products generated by the decomposition, as well as reaction products generated in the decomposition process under each condition; and a reaction product estimation unit that estimates reaction products resulting from the decomposition of the decomposition target material based on the decomposition conditions input to the decomposition condition input unit, the measurement data acquired by the measurement data acquisition unit, and the analysis data stored in the analysis data storage unit; and a determination unit that selects the target decomposition product inputted to the decomposition condition input unit from the reaction products estimated by the reaction product estimation unit, and determines whether the production amount of the selected decomposition product has reached the target amount; a control unit that stops the supply of the substance or the energy performed by the decomposition unit when it is determined by the determination unit that the target amount has been reached, and that continues the supply of the substance or the energy performed by the decomposition unit when it is determined that the target amount has not been reached; A sugar production assisting device comprising:

2. The target amount is the amount of sugar that is a constituent unit of the degradation product, The reaction product estimation unit estimates the sugar amount, The sugar production assisting device according to claim 1 , wherein the determining unit determines that the target amount has been reached when the total sugar amount of the degradation products of interest is equal to or greater than the target sugar amount.

3. The target amount is the amount of sugar that is a constituent unit of the degradation product, The reaction product estimation unit estimates the sugar amounts of the decomposition target substance as a starting material and the target decomposition product, The sugar production support device of claim 1, wherein the judgment unit judges that the target amount has been reached when the ratio of the total sugar amount of the desired decomposition product to the total sugar amount of the starting material, the decomposition target, is greater than or equal to the target ratio.

4. The sugar production assisting device according to claim 1 , wherein the determining unit determines that the target amount has been reached when the total sugar amount of the decomposition product serving as the starting material is equal to or less than a polysaccharide sugar amount threshold value.

5. The target amount is the amount of sugar that is a constituent unit of the degradation product, The reaction product estimation unit estimates the sugar amount, The sugar production assisting device according to claim 1 , wherein the determining unit determines that the target amount has been reached if the rate of change over time in the sugar amount of the target degradation product is equal to or less than a change rate threshold.

6. The measurement data regarding the state of the decomposition target substance is When the decomposition product is solid, the solid weight, solid temperature, and water content, The sugar production support device of claim 1, wherein the decomposition material is at least one of the liquid weight, liquid temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen concentration, liquid dissolved ozone concentration, electrical conductivity, viscosity, absorbance, and suspended matter concentration when the decomposition material is liquid.

7. The measurement data regarding the products generated by decomposition is When the generated substance is gas, the gas temperature, pressure, humidity, carbon dioxide concentration, oxygen concentration, The sugar production support device of claim 1, wherein when the generated material is a liquid, the measured value is at least one of the liquid temperature, liquid weight, pH, dissolved oxygen concentration, ozone gas concentration, electrical conductivity, viscosity, absorbance, and suspended matter concentration.

8. the decomposition conditions include the type of substance or energy that decomposes the polysaccharide; The substance is at least one of ozone, an enzyme, an acid, and an electrolyte; The energy is heat The sugar production assisting device according to claim 1 .

9. The sugar production support device according to claim 1, wherein the reaction product estimation unit estimates analytical data relating to at least one of the state of the biomass not stored in the analytical data storage unit during the decomposition process for each condition and the products generated by the decomposition, as well as the reaction products generated during the decomposition process for each condition, from the analytical data of similar stored biomass.

10. The sugar production assisting device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, a reaction tank for accommodating a substance to be decomposed; a decomposition unit that supplies a substance or energy to decompose the decomposition target in response to a command from the sugar production assisting device; a measuring unit that measures data relating to at least one of the state of the decomposition target material and the products generated by the decomposition of the decomposition target material, and transmits the measurement data to a measurement data acquiring unit of the sugar production assisting device; A sugar production device comprising:

11. the decomposition unit is an ozone generator, The sugar production device according to claim 10, wherein the measurement unit measures at least one of the amount, concentration, and supply time of ozone gas supplied from the ozone generator and transmits the measurement data to a measurement data acquisition unit of the sugar production support device.

12. The sugar production device described in claim 10 is provided with an online analysis unit that analyzes measurement data obtained by measuring data regarding at least one of the state of the decomposition target material and the products generated by the decomposition of the decomposition target material, and transmits the online analysis data analyzed by the online analysis unit to at least one of the measurement data acquisition unit and the analysis data storage unit of the sugar production support device.

13. A method for supporting sugar production, comprising controlling the supply of a substance or energy that decomposes polysaccharides from a decomposition unit to decompose a target material containing the polysaccharides to produce a decomposition product, a step of inputting the type of the decomposition target and the target decomposition product, the target amount of the decomposition product, and decomposition conditions for decomposing the decomposition target; acquiring measurement data that measures at least one of the state of the decomposition target substance decomposed under the decomposition conditions and data related to products generated by the decomposition of the decomposition target substance; A step of estimating reaction products resulting from the decomposition of the decomposition target material from at least one of the decomposition conditions, the measurement data, data on the state of the decomposition process for each of the plurality of biomass conditions and data on products generated by the decomposition, and accumulated analytical data on reaction products generated in the decomposition process for each of the conditions; a step of selecting the input target decomposition product from the estimated reaction products and determining whether the production amount of the selected decomposition product has reached the target amount; a step of performing control to stop the supply of the substance or the energy from the decomposition unit when it is determined that the target amount has been reached, and to continue the supply of the substance or the energy from the decomposition unit when it is determined that the target amount has not been reached; A method for supporting sugar production comprising: