Processing system and processing method

Abstract

A processing system (1) having a supply device (10), a switching mechanism (20), a thermal decomposition device (30), and a first recovery device (50). The supply device (10) continuously or intermittently supplies an object to be processed to a supply pipe (11) having a branched part. The switching mechanism (20) selectably switches the flow path for the object being processed in the branched part. The thermal decomposition device (30) receives the object being processed downstream of each of a plurality of branched supply pipes, and irradiates the received object being processed with microwaves to thermally decompose the object being processed. The first recovery device (50) sequentially recovers, from a plurality of thermal decomposition devices, a first product comprising a fluid generated by thermal decomposition.

Description

Processing system and processing method

[0001] The present invention relates to a processing system and a processing method.

[0002] There is a technique called chemical recycling, which is a technology for breaking down waste plastic and extracting reusable substances.

[0003] For example, the treatment device described in Patent Document 1 heats waste plastics to thermally decompose chlorine-based polymers to generate chlorine compounds, and separates the waste plastics into molten waste plastics and the chlorine compounds.

[0004] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-317072

[0005] Further improvements in recycling technology are expected in order to realize a recycling-oriented society.

[0006] The present disclosure has been made to solve such problems, and aims to provide a processing system and the like that efficiently recovers reusable substances.

[0007] The processing system according to the present disclosure includes a supply device, a switching mechanism, a pyrolysis device, and a first recovery device. The supply device continuously or intermittently supplies the object to be processed to a supply pipe having a branched section. The switching mechanism selectively switches the flow path of the object to be processed at the branched section. The pyrolysis device receives the object to be processed downstream of each of the branched supply pipes and irradiates the received object with microwaves to pyrolyze it. The first recovery device sequentially recovers a first product, including a fluid produced by pyrolysis, from the multiple pyrolysis devices.

[0008] In the processing method according to the present disclosure, a processing system performs the following processing. The processing system continuously or intermittently supplies an object to be processed to a supply pipe having a branch portion. The processing system sequentially selects a flow path of the object to be processed at the branch portion. The processing system supplies the object to the selected pyrolysis device from among pyrolysis devices provided on each of a plurality of branched supply pipes. The processing system causes the pyrolysis device that receives the object to pyrolyze the object to be processed. The processing system sequentially recovers fluids produced after pyrolysis from the plurality of pyrolysis devices.

[0009] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a processing system and a processing method for efficiently recovering reusable substances.

[0010] 1 is an overall configuration diagram of a processing system according to a first embodiment; FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a processing system according to a first embodiment; FIG. 3 is a flowchart of a processing method according to a first embodiment; FIG. 4 is a diagram showing state changes of a switching mechanism and a pyrolysis device; FIG. 5 is a configuration diagram of a pyrolysis device; FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a first state of the pyrolysis device; FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a second state of the pyrolysis device; and FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing a processing method of the pyrolysis device.

[0011] The present invention will be described below through embodiments of the invention, but the invention according to the claims is not limited to the following embodiments. Furthermore, not all of the configurations described in the embodiments are necessarily essential means for solving the problems. For clarity of explanation, the following description and drawings have been omitted and simplified as appropriate. In each drawing, the same elements are assigned the same reference numerals, and duplicate explanations are omitted as necessary.

[0012] First Embodiment An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram of a processing system according to the first embodiment. The processing system 1 shown in FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of each component for ease of understanding. The processing system 1 thermally decomposes a processing target M10 to recover a first product M21 and a second product M22. The processing system 1 mainly includes a supply device 10, a switching mechanism 20, a thermal decomposition device 30, a pressure control valve 40, a first recovery device 50, a second recovery device 70, and a control device 80.

[0013] In this disclosure, components with the same reference numerals have the same function or configuration. Furthermore, multiple components shown in this disclosure may have the same numeral reference numeral followed by a different alphabet. In this case, components with different alphabets are separate entities but have the same function or configuration.

[0014] The supply device 10 continuously or intermittently supplies the processing object M10 to a supply pipe 11 having a branch portion. The supply device 10 is an extrusion device that continuously extrudes the heated and kneaded processing object M10 into the supply pipe. The supply device 10 may also be an injection device that intermittently injects the heated and kneaded processing object M10 into the supply pipe.

[0015] The supplying device 10 is communicably connected to the control device 80 and operates according to instructions from the control device 80. The supplying device 10 also has one or more sensors such as a thermometer and a pressure gauge. The supplying device 10 can supply data from the sensors of the supplying device 10 to the control device 80.

[0016] The processing target M10 includes at least a resin and a catalyst used to thermally decompose the resin. The resin may be, for example, any thermoplastic resin such as polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polycarbonate (PC), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), or polyamide (PA), or any thermosetting resin such as epoxy, unsaturated polyester, polyimide, or polyurethane. The thermoplastic or thermosetting resin may also be a composite material containing carbon fiber, glass fiber, or cellulose nanofiber. The catalyst includes a substance that generates heat when exposed to a specified microwave and promotes the thermal decomposition of the resin. More specifically, the catalyst is an electromagnetic wave absorber such as iron oxide or carbon fiber. The catalyst may also include a substance that promotes thermal decomposition by heating, such as citric acid.

[0017] The supply pipe 11 is a pipe that guides the material to be treated M10, which is continuously or intermittently supplied by the supply device 10, to the multiple pyrolysis devices 30 via branching sections. A switching mechanism 20 is provided at the branching section of the supply pipe 11. The supply pipe 11 shown in Fig. 1 has three branching sections, and a switching mechanism 20 is provided at each branching section.

[0018] The switching mechanism 20 selectively switches the flow path of the processing object M10 at the branching portion of the supply pipe 11. The switching mechanism 20 guides the processing object M10 arriving from the upstream supply pipe 11 to one of the two branching supply pipes 11. The switching mechanism 20 is connected to the control device 80 so as to be able to communicate with it, and switches the selected supply pipe 11 in response to instructions from the control device 80.

[0019] The processing system 1 has a switching mechanism 20A, a switching mechanism 20B, and a switching mechanism 20C as the switching mechanism 20. The switching mechanism 20A guides the processing object M10 arriving from the supply device 10 to the pyrolysis device 30A or the switching mechanism 20B. The switching mechanism 20B guides the processing object M10 arriving from the switching mechanism 20A to the pyrolysis device 30B or the switching mechanism 20C.

[0020] The switching mechanism 20C is connected to the switching mechanism 20B and the pyrolysis device 30C and does not branch. The switching mechanism 20C guides the treatment target M10 arriving from the switching mechanism 20B to the pyrolysis device 30C or stops guiding the treatment target M10 to the pyrolysis device 30C. However, when an additional pyrolysis device 30 (e.g., pyrolysis device 30D) is installed in the treatment system 1, the switching mechanism 20C may be configured to be expandable so that it can guide the treatment target M10 to the additional pyrolysis device 30D. With the above-mentioned configuration, the switching mechanism 20 selects one or more pyrolysis devices 30 and supplies the treatment target M10.

[0021] The thermal decomposition device 30 receives the treatment object M10 downstream of each of the branched supply pipes 11 and irradiates the received treatment object M10 with microwaves to thermally decompose it. The thermal decomposition device 30 generates a first product M21 and a second product M22 from the treatment object M10 through thermal decomposition. The thermal decomposition device 30 supplies the first product M21 to the first recovery device 50. The thermal decomposition device 30 supplies the second product M22 to the second recovery device 70.

[0022] The pyrolysis device 30 is communicably connected to the control device 80 and operates according to instructions from the control device 80. The pyrolysis device 30 also has one or more sensors such as a thermometer and a pressure gauge. The pyrolysis device 30 can supply data from the sensors of the pyrolysis device 30 to the control device 80.

[0023] The first product M21 is a fluid and contains hydrogen. The second product M22 is a substance other than the first product M21 and contains carbon. The carbon is, for example, carbon nanotubes (CNTs).

[0024] The microwaves are, for example, electromagnetic waves with a frequency of 300 MHz to 30 GHz, preferably 2.45 GHz (2.45 gigahertz). The pyrolysis device 30 includes at least a magnetron that generates microwaves. The magnetron output is, for example, about 1000 watts. The pyrolysis device 30 irradiates the received processing object M10 with microwaves for, for example, about 5 to 10 minutes. Note that the magnetron output and microwave irradiation time shown here are merely examples, and the operation of the pyrolysis device 30 in this embodiment is not limited to the example shown here.

[0025] The processing system 1 includes three pyrolysis devices 30A, 30B, and 30C. The pyrolysis device 30A is connected to a switching mechanism 20A, a first recovery device 50, and a second recovery device 70. The pyrolysis device 30A thermally decomposes the treatment target M10 received from the switching mechanism 20A, and sends a first product M21 produced by the pyrolysis to the first recovery device 50 and a second product M22 produced by the pyrolysis to the second recovery device 70. A pressure control valve 40A is interposed between the pyrolysis device 30 and the first recovery device 50. The pressure control valve 40 maintains the pressure of the gas being discharged within a certain range.

[0026] Similarly, the thermal decomposition device 30B is connected to the switching mechanism 20B and thermally decomposes the treatment target M10 received from the switching mechanism 20B to generate a first product M21 and a second product M22. The thermal decomposition device 30B sends the first product M21 to the first recovery device 50 and sends the second product M22 to the second recovery device 70 via the pressure control valve 40B.

[0027] The thermal decomposition device 30C is connected to the switching mechanism 20C and thermally decomposes the treatment target M10 received from the switching mechanism 20C to generate a first product M21 and a second product M22. The thermal decomposition device 30C sends the first product M21 to the first recovery device 50 and sends the second product M22 to the second recovery device 70 via the pressure control valve 40B.

[0028] The first recovery device 50 sequentially recovers a first product M21 containing a fluid produced by thermal decomposition from the plurality of thermal decomposition devices 30 (i.e., the thermal decomposition device 30A, the thermal decomposition device 30B, and the thermal decomposition device 30C). The first recovery device 50 extracts hydrogen from the recovered first product M21. The first recovery device 50 mainly comprises a pressure control valve 51, a hydrogen extraction device 52, a pressure accumulator 53, and a gas recovery device 54.

[0029] The pressure control valve 51 receives the gas from the upstream side and supplies it downstream at a constant pressure. The pressure control valve 51 receives the first product M21 from the pressure control valve 40 and supplies the received first product M21 to the hydrogen extraction device 52.

[0030] The hydrogen extraction device 52 selectively separates and extracts hydrogen from the first product M21 and supplies the extracted hydrogen to the pressure accumulator 53. The pressure accumulator 53 stores the hydrogen received from the hydrogen extraction device 52. The hydrogen extraction device 52 also supplies the gas obtained after hydrogen has been extracted from the first product M21 to the gas recovery device 54. The hydrogen extraction device 52 has, for example, a hydrogen-permeable membrane. The hydrogen-permeable membrane selectively permeates hydrogen and does not permeate anything other than hydrogen. The hydrogen extraction device 52 may have means other than a hydrogen-permeable membrane. For example, the hydrogen extraction device 52 may separate hydrogen by cooling the first product M21, or may separate hydrogen using a predetermined adsorbent.

[0031] The second recovery device 70 receives the second product M22 from the thermal decomposition device 30 and stores the received second product M22. More specifically, the second recovery device 70 sequentially recovers the second product M22 from the thermal decomposition device 30 and separates and extracts carbon from the recovered second product M22. The second recovery device 70 mainly includes a separation device 71, a carbon recovery device 72, and a residue recovery device 73. The separation device 71 separates carbon from the second product M22 and a residue other than carbon. The separation device 71 supplies the carbon separated from the second product M22 to the carbon recovery device 72 and supplies the residue to the residue recovery device 73.

[0032] The control device 80 is a computing device that includes at least a CPU (Central Processing Unit) with a computing function. The control device 80 is, for example, a computer, a tablet terminal, or a smartphone. The control device 80 may also be a dedicated device with a computing function. The control device 80 controls each component of the processing system 1. More specifically, for example, the control device 80 controls the switching timing of the switching mechanism 20.

[0033] Next, the functions of the processing system 1 will be further described with reference to Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a block diagram of the processing system 1 according to the first embodiment. Fig. 2 shows the processing system 1 divided into functional blocks. In the processing system 1, the control device 80 is communicatively connected to the supply device 10, the switching mechanism 20, the pyrolysis device 30, and the first recovery device 50.

[0034] The control device 80 also has, as its main components, a processor 81, a memory 82, and an interface 83. The processor 81 is a computing unit including a CPU, and controls each component according to data acquired from the components. The memory 82 includes a non-volatile memory that stores at least a program for executing the functions of the present disclosure, and a random access memory (RAM) used when the control device 80 operates. The interface 83 includes a communication circuit that complies with a communication protocol for the control device 80 to communicate with each component. The interface 83 also includes an operation input means for accepting operations from a user who manages the processing system 1.

[0035] With the above configuration, the control device 80 controls the operations of the supply device 10, the switching mechanism 20, and the pyrolysis device 30. For example, the control device 80 controls the switching mechanism 20 to switch the flow path of the supply pipe 11 based on a predetermined switching condition. The switching condition is, for example, time. In this case, the control device 80 controls the switching mechanism 20 to switch the flow path at predetermined switching times. In this case, the control device 80 also operates the pyrolysis device 30 in response to the control of the switching mechanism 20.

[0036] The control device 80 may also control the switching mechanism 20 based on other switching conditions. The other switching conditions may be, for example, the operating state of the pyrolysis devices 30. For example, when the control device 80 detects that the first product M21 and the second product M22 have been discharged from any of the multiple pyrolysis devices 30, the control device 80 may control the switching mechanism 20 to supply a new processing target M10 to the pyrolysis device 30.

[0037] The control device 80 may acquire the pressure state of the accumulator 53 from the first recovery device 50, and control the operation of the supply device 10 and the pyrolysis device 30 according to the pressure inside the accumulator 53. That is, the control device 80 may control the pyrolysis device 30 to stop supplying the first product M21 when the pressure in the accumulator 53 becomes equal to or higher than a threshold value. Additionally, the control device 80 may also control the supply device 10 to stop supplying the first product M21.

[0038] Next, the processing executed by the processing system 1 will be described with reference to Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a flowchart of the processing method according to the first embodiment. The flowchart in Fig. 3 shows the processing executed by the control device 80 of the processing system 1.

[0039] First, the control device 80 continuously or intermittently supplies the processing object M10 to the supply pipe 11 having a branch portion (step S11). More specifically, upon receiving an instruction from the control device 80, the supply device 10 starts supplying the processing object M10.

[0040] Next, the switching mechanism 20 selects a flow path for the processing object M10 at the branching portion (step S12). The processing object M10 passes through the flow path selected by the switching mechanism 20 and is transported to the selected supply pipe 11.

[0041] Next, the switching mechanism 20 supplies the treatment object M10 to the selected pyrolysis device 30 from among the pyrolysis devices 30 provided on each of the branched supply pipes 11 (step S13).

[0042] Next, the control device 80 causes the thermal decomposition device 30, which has received the treatment object M10, to thermally decompose the treatment object M10 (step S14). That is, the thermal decomposition device 30 irradiates the treatment object M10 with microwaves.

[0043] Next, the first recovery device 50 and the second recovery device 70 respectively recover the treatment target M10 (i.e., the first product M21 and the second product M22) thermally decomposed by the thermal decomposition device 30 (step S15).

[0044] Next, the control device 80 determines whether a predetermined switching condition is met (step S16). If the control device 80 determines that the predetermined switching condition is not met (step S16: NO), the control device 80 repeats step S16. On the other hand, if the control device 80 determines that the predetermined switching condition is met (step S16: YES), the control device 80 proceeds to step S17.

[0045] Here, the predetermined switching condition is, for example, a preset time. In this case, the control device 80 starts a timer when starting pyrolysis, and determines that the switching condition is met when the preset time has elapsed.

[0046] In step S17, the control device 80 determines whether the system is to be terminated (step S17). The system is terminated, for example, when the user performs an operation to instruct the system to be terminated. Alternatively, the system is terminated, for example, when there are no more processing targets M10 that can be supplied from the supply device 10. If the control device 80 determines that the system is to be terminated (step S17: YES), the processing system 1 proceeds to step S18, stops the supply device 10 (step S18), and terminates the series of processes. On the other hand, if the control device 80 does not determine that the system is to be terminated (step S17: NO), the processing system 1 proceeds to step S19.

[0047] In step S19, the switching mechanism 20 switches the flow path (step S19). That is, the processing system 1 switches the pyrolysis device 30 for pyrolyzing the processing target M10. After the switching mechanism 20 switches the flow path, the processing system 1 returns to step S13.

[0048] Next, the switching of the flow paths performed by the switching mechanism 20 and the processing of the pyrolysis device 30 associated with the switching of the flow paths will be described with reference to Fig. 4. Fig. 4 is a diagram showing the state changes of the switching mechanism and the pyrolysis device. The processing system 1 shown in Fig. 4 shows, from the top, the processing system 1 in state T1, the processing system 1 in state T2 after state T1, and the processing system 1 in state T3 after state T2.

[0049] In state T1, the supply device 10 supplies the treatment object M10 to the switching mechanism 20A. The switching mechanism 20A is in a state where it supplies the treatment object M10 received from the supply device 10 to the pyrolysis device 30A.

[0050] In this case, the thermal decomposition device 30A is in a state of receiving the treatment target M10 from the supply device 10 via the switching mechanism 20A. The thermal decomposition device 30B is in a state of thermally decomposing the treatment target M10 that it has already received. The thermal decomposition device 30C is in a state of sending a first product M21 produced by thermally decomposing the treatment target M10 to the first recovery device 50 and sending a second product M22 to the second recovery device 70.

[0051] In state T2 after state T1, the supply device 10 supplies the processing object M10 to the switching mechanism 20A. The switching mechanism 20A is in a state where it supplies the processing object M10 received from the supply device 10 to the switching mechanism 20B. The switching mechanism 20B is in a state where it supplies the processing object M10 received from the switching mechanism 20A to the switching mechanism 20C. The switching mechanism 20C is in a state where it supplies the processing object M10 received from the switching mechanism 20B to the pyrolysis device 30C.

[0052] In this case, the thermal decomposition device 30C is in a state of receiving the treatment target M10 from the supply device 10 via the switching mechanism 20A, the switching mechanism 20B, and the switching mechanism 20C. The thermal decomposition device 30A is in a state of thermally decomposing the treatment target M10 that it has already received. The thermal decomposition device 30B is in a state of sending a first product M21 produced by thermally decomposing the treatment target M10 to the first recovery device 50 and sending a second product M22 to the second recovery device 70.

[0053] In state T3 after state T2, the supply device 10 supplies the processing object M10 to the switching mechanism 20A. The switching mechanism 20A is in a state where it supplies the processing object M10 received from the supply device 10 to the switching mechanism 20B. The switching mechanism 20B is in a state where it supplies the processing object M10 received from the switching mechanism 20A to the pyrolysis device 30B.

[0054] In this case, the thermal decomposition device 30B is in a state of receiving the treatment target M10 from the supply device 10 via the switching mechanism 20A and the switching mechanism 20B. The thermal decomposition device 30C is in a state of thermally decomposing the treatment target M10 that it has already received. The thermal decomposition device 30A is in a state of sending a first product M21 produced by thermally decomposing the treatment target M10 to the first recovery device 50 and sending a second product M22 to the second recovery device 70.

[0055] After state T3, the processing system 1 returns to state T1 and repeats the processing. In this manner, in the processing system 1, the switching mechanism 20 sequentially selects a flow path for the processing object M10 at the branching section. When the selected thermal decomposition device 30 receives the processing object M10, it thermally decomposes the received processing object M10. The first recovery device 50 sequentially recovers the first product M21, which is a fluid generated after thermal decomposition, from the multiple thermal decomposition devices 30. Similarly, the second recovery device 70 sequentially recovers the second product M22, which is generated after thermal decomposition, from the multiple thermal decomposition devices 30.

[0056] The configuration of the processing system 1 and the processing performed by the processing system 1 have been described above. With the above-described configuration, the processing system 1 sequentially supplies the target material M10, which is continuously or intermittently supplied by the supply device 10, to multiple pyrolysis devices 30. The processing system 1 also sequentially recovers the first product M21 and the second product M22 produced by pyrolysis in the multiple pyrolysis devices 30. Therefore, the supply device 10 can continuously and efficiently supply the target material M10 to the pyrolysis devices 30 without being rate-limited by the processing in the pyrolysis devices 30. The first recovery device 50 can continuously recover the first product M21 without being rate-limited by the processing in the pyrolysis devices 30. Similarly, the second recovery device 70 can continuously recover the second product M22 without being rate-limited by the processing in the pyrolysis devices 30.

[0057] Next, the configuration of the pyrolysis device 30 will be described with reference to Fig. 5. Fig. 5 is a configuration diagram of the pyrolysis device. The pyrolysis device 30 mainly includes a container 300, an irradiation device 301, a receiving port 310, a gas inlet 320, a tray 330, a tray drive unit 331, a second outlet 340, a first outlet 350, an exhaust valve 360, and a sensor 370.

[0058] The container 300 is a hollow housing made of, for example, heat-resistant metal or ceramic, and receives a predetermined amount of the processing target M10 therein. The container 300 is provided with an inlet 310, a gas inlet 320, and a first outlet 350 at its upper portion. The lower portion of the container 300 is cone-shaped, with a second outlet 340 at its lowest portion. The container 300 houses a tray 330 and a tray driver 331 inside. Furthermore, an irradiation device 301 is installed on the top or side of the container 300.

[0059] The irradiation device 301 irradiates microwaves onto the treatment target M10 in the container 300 to pyrolyze the treatment target M10. The irradiation device 301 has one or more magnetrons that generate microwaves and one or more antennas that irradiate the microwaves generated by the magnetrons onto the container 300. The container 300 has an electromagnetic wave transparent region that transmits the microwaves generated by the irradiation device 301 into the interior of the container 300. The electromagnetic wave transparent region is formed by an opening that allows electromagnetic waves to pass through or by a material that is transparent to electromagnetic waves.

[0060] The pyrolysis device 30 may have a plurality of irradiation devices 301. The antenna of the irradiation device 301 may have a movable part for changing the microwave irradiation area. By moving the antenna, the pyrolysis device 30 can suppress bias of the microwaves irradiated onto the treatment target M10.

[0061] The receiving port 310 is connected to the supply pipe 11 provided downstream of the switching mechanism 20. As a result, the pyrolysis device 30 receives the treatment object M10 from the supply pipe 11 via the receiving port 310.

[0062] The gas inlet 320 is an inlet for supplying an inert gas from outside into the container 300. The pyrolysis device 30 receives the treatment object M10 and also receives an inert gas. The inert gas is, for example, helium, argon, nitrogen, or carbon dioxide. The pyrolysis device 30 starts the irradiation device 301 with the inert gas filled in the container 300 to irradiate microwaves. The gas inlet 320 has an on-off valve 321, which allows control of the supply of inert gas to the container 300. Note that, in order to fill the inside of the container 300 with inert gas, the pyrolysis device 30 may have a structure that evacuates the inside using, for example, a vacuum pump. In this case, the container 300 may have, for example, a suction port of the vacuum pump. The suction port of the vacuum pump is connected to the vacuum pump via an on-off valve.

[0063] The container 300 may have a plurality of gas inlets 320. The gas inlets 320 may have a function of supplying an inert gas with a pressure sufficient to agitate the treatment object M10 or the second product M22 on the tray 330, for example.

[0064] The tray 330 is a plate-like member having a horizontally extending surface on which the treatment target M10 is placed when the treatment target M10 is pyrolyzed. The tray 330 is formed with a flat or curved surface. The tray 330 shown in FIG. 5 has a gently rising spindle-like shape in the center, with the outer periphery being lower than the center. This configuration gives the tray 330 a larger surface area than a plane parallel to the horizontal plane. Therefore, the tray 330 can relatively increase the surface area of ​​the treatment target M10 placed on the tray 330. This allows the tray 330 to relatively increase the area where the treatment target M10 is exposed to microwaves. Note that the shape of the concave and convex portions of the tray 330 is not limited to the above-described form.

[0065] The tray driver 331 supports the tray 330 from below so that it can move up and down. When the tray driver 331 raises the tray 330, the outer periphery of the tray 330 comes into contact with the sidewall 302 that protrudes inward from the outer periphery of the container 300. Therefore, the treatment target M10 that has dropped from the receiving port 310 rests on the upper surface of the tray 330. When the tray driver 331 lowers the tray 330, a gap is formed between the outer periphery of the tray 330 and the sidewall 302. Therefore, the second product M22 generated after pyrolysis falls downward through the gap between the outer periphery of the tray 330 and the sidewall 302. After dropping down the tray 330, the second product M22 further falls down the funnel-shaped surface formed at the bottom of the container 300 and moves below the container 300 via the second outlet 340.

[0066] The tray driving unit 331 may drive the tray 330 to rotate around a vertical axis. The tray driving unit 331 may also have a stirring member that penetrates the center of the tray 330 and is rotatably provided at the penetrated portion to stir the processing target M10.

[0067] The second delivery port 340 is an opening provided in the lower part of the container 300, and delivers the second product M22. The second delivery port 340 has a shutter 341 that is set to be able to open and close.

[0068] The first outlet 350 is a fluid outlet provided at the top of the container 300 and outputs the first product M21 generated by pyrolysis. The first outlet 350 is provided with an open / close valve 351 and an exhaust fan 352. The open / close valve 351 is a valve that can be freely opened and closed, and is opened when the pyrolysis device 30 outputs the second product M22. When the open / close valve 351 is opened, the exhaust fan 352 provided downstream of the open / close valve 351 pressure-feeds the second product M22 output from the first outlet 350 to the pressure control valve 40.

[0069] The exhaust valve 360 ​​discharges other gases remaining inside the container 300 when the container 300 is filled with an inert gas through the gas inlet 320. The exhaust valve 360 ​​may also function as a safety valve that discharges internal gases to prevent excessive internal pressure rise when the internal pressure exceeds a threshold during the pyrolysis process in the pyrolysis device 30. When filling the container 300 with an inert gas through the gas inlet 320, the pyrolysis device 30 may have a structure that can be connected to the above-mentioned vacuum pump instead of the exhaust valve 360 ​​in order to discharge other gases remaining inside. By discharging other gases using the vacuum pump, the pyrolysis device 30 can efficiently change the internal environment of the container 300.

[0070] The sensor 370 measures at least one of the temperature and the pressure inside the container 300. The sensor 370 can supply the measured data to the control device 80.

[0071] The pyrolysis device 30 is connected to a secondary battery 200 and receives a supply of power from the secondary battery 200. The secondary battery 200 supplies power to the pyrolysis device 30. More specifically, for example, the secondary battery 200 can supply power to an irradiation device 301 of the pyrolysis device 30. The secondary battery 200 is, for example, a lithium ion battery.

[0072] The secondary battery 200 can store power generated from renewable energy. The secondary battery 200 shown in Fig. 5 receives power from a wind power generation system 90. The wind power generation system 90 is one embodiment of a power generation system using renewable energy. The processing system 1 may receive power from the power generation system using renewable energy for the supply device 10 and the like in addition to the thermal decomposition device 30.

[0073] With this configuration, the processing system 1 having the secondary battery 200 performs thermal decomposition of the processing target M10 while suppressing the environmental load. Note that the power generation system using renewable energy may be one that uses sunlight or geothermal energy. Furthermore, the power generation system using renewable energy may include, for example, a system that generates power using a hydrogen boiler that uses the generated hydrogen.

[0074] The secondary battery 200 may be a recycled product (a reused product). A recycled product includes, for example, a battery that was used in an electric vehicle or the like but was removed from the electric vehicle or the like because it no longer meets the specifications for use in the electric vehicle or the like. By using a recycled product as the secondary battery 200, the processing system 1 can reduce the environmental impact.

[0075] Next, the operation of the thermal decomposition apparatus 30 will be described with reference to Figures 6 and 7. Figure 6 is a diagram showing a first state of the thermal decomposition apparatus 30. In Figure 6, the thermal decomposition apparatus 30 receives the processing object M10 through the receiving port 310, and the irradiation device 301 irradiates the received processing object M10 with microwaves.

[0076] The thermal decomposition device 30 irradiates the processing target M10 with microwaves, thereby receiving the microwaves. The microwave-absorbing materials, such as electromagnetic wave absorbers, in the processing target M10 are heated and their temperature rises. Accordingly, the resins present in the processing target M10 are also heated and thermally decomposed. The temperature inside the decomposition processing area 130 at this time is, for example, 400 to 900 degrees Celsius.

[0077] The heated resin undergoes polymer decomposition, converting it into hydrogen, lower hydrocarbons, organic gases, and other intermediate products. Further microwave irradiation by the pyrolysis device 30 advances the pyrolysis, and a first product M21 and a second product M22 can be produced from the treatment target M10. After the treatment target M10 has been decomposed into the first product M21 and the second product M22, the pyrolysis device 30 stops irradiating the microwaves.

[0078] 7 is a diagram showing the second state of the thermal decomposition device 30. In FIG. 7, the thermal decomposition device 30 is sending out the first product M21 and the second product M22 to the outside of the container 300. At this time, the tray 330 is in a lowered position, and a gap is formed between the tray 330 and the side wall 302, allowing the second product M22 to pass through. In addition, the shutter 341 at the second delivery port 340 is in an open state. Therefore, the second product M22 falls from the outer periphery of the tray 330 to the bottom of the container 300, and then moves through the second delivery port 340 to the second recovery device 70.

[0079] 7 , the on-off valve 351 of the first outlet 350 is in an open state, and the exhaust fan 352 is driven to pressure-feed the fluid in the container 300 to the pressure control valve 40. As a result, the first product M21 is sucked into the first outlet 350 and sent out of the container 300. At this time, an inert gas may be supplied through the gas inlet 320. By supplying the inert gas through the gas inlet 320, the pyrolysis device 30 can promote the sending of the first product M21 to the first outlet 350.

[0080] Next, the process executed by the thermal decomposition device 30 will be described with reference to Fig. 8. Fig. 8 is a flowchart showing a processing method of the thermal decomposition device. The flowchart of Fig. 8 is executed by, for example, a control device 80 that controls the thermal decomposition device 30.

[0081] First, the control device 80 opens the shutter 311 of the inlet 310 (step S31). In response to this, the switching mechanism 20 switches the flow path so as to supply the object to be treated M10 to the pyrolysis device 30 that is executing the operations of this flowchart.

[0082] Next, the control device 80 determines whether the supply of the processing objects M10 has been completed (step S32). If the control device 80 determines that the supply of the processing objects M10 has not been completed (step S32: NO), the control device 80 repeats step S32. If the control device 80 determines that the supply of the processing objects M10 has been completed (step S32: YES), the control device 80 closes the shutter 311 of the receiving port 310 (step S33).

[0083] Next, the control device 80 activates the irradiation device 301 to irradiate the processing object M10 with microwaves (step S34).

[0084] Next, the control device 80 determines whether the pyrolysis has ended (step S35). Here, the control device 80 may determine whether the pyrolysis has ended based on data received from the sensor 370 of the pyrolysis device 30. Alternatively, the control device 80 may determine that the pyrolysis has ended by determining whether the above-mentioned switching condition is met. If the control device 80 does not determine that the pyrolysis has ended (step S35: NO), the control device 80 returns to step S34 and continues irradiating microwaves. If the control device 80 determines that the pyrolysis has ended (step S35: YES), the control device 80 starts sending out the first product M21 and the second product M22 (step S36).

[0085] Next, the control device 80 determines whether the delivery of the first product M21 and the second product M22 has been completed (step S37). The control device 80 determines whether the delivery has been completed based on data from the sensor 370, for example. Alternatively, the control device 80 may determine whether the delivery has been completed by measuring a preset time. If the control device 80 does not determine that the delivery has been completed (step S37: NO), the control device 80 returns to step S36 and continues the delivery of the first product M21 and the second product M22. If the control device 80 determines that the delivery has been completed (step S37: YES), the control device 80 proceeds to step S38.

[0086] In step S38, the control device 80 determines whether the system is to be terminated (step S38). If the control device 80 does not determine that the system is to be terminated (step S38: NO), the control device 80 returns to step S31 and repeats the series of processes. If the control device 80 determines that the system is to be terminated (step S38: YES), the control device 80 terminates the series of processes.

[0087] The first embodiment has been described above. In the processing system 1 according to the first embodiment, the supply device 10 supplies the processing target M10 continuously or intermittently, and the processing target M10 is sequentially pyrolyzed by the multiple pyrolysis devices 30, and the pyrolyzed material is sequentially sent to the first recovery device 50 and the second recovery device 70. This allows the processing system 1 to efficiently recover hydrogen and carbon. Therefore, the first embodiment can provide a processing system and a processing method that efficiently recover reusable substances.

[0088] 9 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of a processing system according to embodiment 2. A first recovery device 50 according to embodiment 2 has a collection device 55.

[0089] The capture device 55 extracts a predetermined fluid, such as carbon dioxide, from the first product M21 received via the pressure control valve 40. The predetermined fluid is, for example, a gas with high water solubility. The capture device 55 separates the highly water soluble fluid, such as carbon dioxide, from the first product M21, for example, by a water displacement method. The capture device 55 supplies the first product M21 after separation of the predetermined fluid to the hydrogen extraction device 52 via the pressure control valve 51. With this configuration, the first recovery device 50 can reduce the load on the hydrogen extraction device 52.

[0090] This completes the description of embodiment 2. According to embodiment 2, it is possible to provide a processing system and a processing method that efficiently recover reusable substances, in accordance with embodiment 1.

[0091] With the above-described configuration, the treatment system 1 according to the embodiment recovers hydrogen and carbon from the treatment target M10. The treatment target M10 includes, for example, waste plastic. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted by the United Nations General Assembly call for ensuring sustainable consumption and production patterns. The treatment system 1 can contribute to ensuring sustainable consumption and production patterns by recovering reusable hydrogen and carbon from waste plastic. Furthermore, the treatment system 1 can receive at least a portion of the power for the devices used in the treatment system 1 from renewable energy. This allows the treatment system 1 to contribute to the realization of a sustainable society.

[0092] Although the present invention has been described above with reference to the embodiments, the present invention is not limited to the above. Various modifications that can be understood by those skilled in the art can be made to the configuration and details of the present invention within the scope of the invention.

[0093] This application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2023-150841, filed September 19, 2023, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0094] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Treatment system 10 Supply device 11 Supply pipe 20 Switching mechanism 30 Pyrolysis device 40 Pressure control valve 50 First recovery device 51 Pressure control valve 52 Hydrogen extraction device 53 Accumulator 54 Gas recovery device 55 Collection device 70 Second recovery device 71 Separation device 72 Carbon recovery device 73 Residue recovery device 80 Control device 90 Wind power generation system 200 Secondary battery 300 Container 301 Irradiation device 310 Receiving port 311 Shutter 320 Gas inlet 321 Opening and closing valve 330 Tray 331 Tray drive unit 340 Second outlet 341 Shutter 350 First outlet 351 Opening and closing valve 352 Exhaust fan 360 Exhaust valve 370 Sensor M10 Treatment object M21 First product M22 second product

Claims

1. A treatment system comprising: a supply device which continuously or intermittently supplies an object to be treated to a supply pipe having a branching section; a switching mechanism which selectively switches a flow path of the object to be treated at the branching section; a plurality of pyrolysis devices which receive the object to be treated downstream of each of a plurality of branched supply pipes and irradiate the received object with microwaves to pyrolyze it; and a first recovery device which sequentially recovers a first product including a fluid produced by pyrolysis from the plurality of pyrolysis devices.

2. The processing system according to claim 1, wherein the supply device is an extrusion device that continuously extrudes the heated and kneaded processing object into the supply pipe, or an injection device that intermittently injects the heated and kneaded processing object into the supply pipe.

3. The processing system of claim 1, wherein the pyrolysis device comprises: a container for receiving a predetermined amount of the object to be processed; an irradiation device for irradiating the object to be processed in the container with microwaves to pyrolyze the object; a first outlet for sending out the first product produced by pyrolysis; and a second outlet for sending out a second product other than the first product.

4. The treatment system according to claim 3, further comprising a second recovery device that sequentially recovers the second product from the pyrolysis device and separates and extracts carbon from the recovered second product.

5. A processing system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the switching mechanism switches the flow path so as to supply the object to be treated received from the supply device to the pyrolysis device after it has sent out the pyrolyzed object to be treated.

6. The processing system according to claim 5, further comprising a control device that controls the switching mechanism so as to switch the flow path based on a predetermined switching condition.

7. The processing system according to claim 6, wherein the control device controls the switching mechanism to switch the flow path at every switching time preset as the switching condition.

8. The processing system according to claim 1, wherein the supply device supplies the processing object containing at least a resin to the supply pipe, and the pyrolysis device pyrolyzes the processing object by irradiating it with microwaves so that at least hydrogen can be extracted.

9. The processing system according to claim 8, wherein the supply device supplies the processing target containing the resin and a catalyst for promoting thermal decomposition to the supply pipe.

10. The processing system according to claim 9, wherein the thermal decomposition device thermally decomposes the processing target by irradiating the microwaves having a frequency of 2.45 GHz.

11. The processing system according to claim 1, further comprising a secondary battery that supplies power to the pyrolysis device.

12. The processing system according to claim 11, wherein the secondary battery is capable of storing electricity generated by renewable energy.

13. A processing method comprising the steps of: continuously or intermittently supplying an object to be treated to a supply pipe having a branching section; sequentially selecting a flow path for the object to be treated at the branching section; supplying the object to the selected pyrolysis device from among pyrolysis devices provided on each of a number of branched supply pipes; pyrolyzing the object to be treated in the pyrolysis device that receives the object to be treated; and sequentially recovering fluid produced after the pyrolysis from the multiple pyrolysis devices.

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