Horizontal Conveyor Biogas Fermentation System
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current biogas production methods, particularly dry fermentation, face challenges such as high costs, suboptimal conditions leading to reduced gas yield, susceptibility to contamination, and inefficient heating in large-scale operations, resulting in fluctuating gas production and methane loss.
Innovation Solution
A quasi-continuous process where biomass is intensively heated and mixed within a gas-tight housing using a horizontal conveyor system, allowing for optimal stratification and percolation, reducing the need for pre-mixing and external heating, and enabling efficient biogas separation and collection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If liquid fermentation is used to enable pumping and stirring of biomass, then biomass can be processed effectively, but energy consumption and water usage increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical state parameter of the fermentation medium from liquid to solid (dry matter content 20-50%), eliminating the need for pumping and stirring while maintaining fermentability through controlled percolation of liquid through the solid biomass mass
2Stability of the object's composition
If fresh biomass is mixed with fermented biomass through constant stirring in liquid fermentation, then homogeneous mixing is achieved, but fresh biomass is lost when removed from the fermenter
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the fermentation process into distinct zones within the fermenter: a fresh biomass input zone at the top, a fermentation zone in the middle, and a discharged compost removal zone at the bottom, allowing separate handling and minimizing mixing between fresh and fermented material
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces vertical stratification as a new dimension for material separation, with biomass fed at the top and discharged from the bottom, creating distinct functional layers that prevent complete mixing while maintaining process continuity
3Ease of operation
If discontinuous batch operation is used in garage processes, then simple operation is achieved, but gas production fluctuates and multiple units are required for economical operation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements continuous feeding of fresh biomass and continuous discharge of fermented compost, maintaining constant fermentation activity and steady biogas production, eliminating the idle periods and fluctuations inherent in batch operations
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces dynamic control elements including adjustable percolation rates, controlled heating systems, and regulated discharge mechanisms that allow optimization of fermentation conditions while maintaining continuous operation
4Temperature
If external preheating is used in large fermentation stacks, then heating capability is provided, but the insulating effect of the stack causes temperature to drop to suboptimal levels
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the heating function with the fermentation process itself by using the exothermic heat generated during fermentation to maintain temperature, supplemented by targeted external heating only when necessary, rather than relying on extensive external preheating infrastructure
Solution Approach 2:
The patent enables the fermentation process to self-maintain optimal temperature through the exothermic nature of microbial degradation, where the fermentation activity itself generates the heat required to sustain the process, reducing dependence on external heating systems
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach enhances methane yield, reduces operational costs, minimizes methane loss, and maintains optimal temperature conditions, leading to a more stable and efficient biogas production process suitable for large-scale operations.
Implementation Method 1
By mixing and heating the supplied solids to be fermented in a preliminary stage on a substantially horizontal conveyor track below the fermentation stack
Implementation Method 2
heated to the temperature required for the fermentation process by the percolate liquid dripping from the fermentation stack onto the solids to be fermented
Implementation Method 3
The water that seeps down is collected in a tank, from which liquid can then be pumped again for spraying. The process is called percolation.
Implementation Method 4
Biogas is produced in agriculture and waste management through anaerobic fermentation (fermentation) of organic substances (biomass) with the participation of various microorganisms
Implementation Method 5
During a digestion period of a few weeks, the fermentable substance breaks down, releasing biogas
Implementation Method 6
Process and device for generating biogas using solid state fermentation with an essentially gas-tight housing
Data Source
Figure 1~4
Figure 2
Figure 5
AI summary
Biogas production involves mixing and heating supplied solids to be fermented at a preliminary stage. The heated solids are distributed from the stage on a fermenting pile provided in a fermenter. The solids are distributed on a lower surface of the pile. The supplied solids are guided on a horizontal delivery path below the pile, where percolated liquid and/or small fraction of the pile down drops or falls on the solids to be fermented. An independent claim is also included for an arrangement for biogas production by dry fermentation.