Biomass Grinding and Roasting Reactor with Thermal Conduction

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current biomass roasting and grinding technologies require lengthy treatment times and large installations, with inefficient energy use and uncontrolled heat exchanges, leading to suboptimal biofuel production with low energy density and hydrophobic properties.

Innovation Solution

A reactor that combines grinding and roasting in a single chamber using heat piping elements for efficient thermal conduction, reducing dwelling time to less than 5 minutes and maximizing energy transfer through solid/solid heat exchanges, allowing for precise control of roasting temperature and energy optimization.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If conventional roasting is applied for 20-40 minutes to improve biofuel characteristics, then hydrophobic properties and energy density are improved, but treatment time and installation size increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvehydrophobic propertiesVSAvoidtreatment time

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines roasting and grinding operations into a single integrated reactor chamber, allowing both thermal treatment and mechanical size reduction to occur simultaneously. This merging of operations enables the biomass to undergo roasting for the required 20-40 minutes while being continuously ground, thereby achieving the desired hydrophobic properties and energy density without requiring separate, time-consuming operations and reducing overall installation size.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

2Reliability

If conventional roasting is applied for 20-40 minutes to improve biofuel characteristics, then energy density is improved, but installation size increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveenergy densityVSAvoidinstallation size

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSVolume of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent integrates the roasting reactor and grinding mill into a single unified device with a common chamber, allowing the biomass to be roasted and ground simultaneously. This integration enables the installation to achieve high energy density biofuels through prolonged thermal treatment without requiring the large separate installations that would be needed for conventional sequential operations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Loss of energy

If thermal conduction heating is used for roasting, then energy transfer efficiency is improved, but heat exchange control becomes more challenging

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveenergy transfer efficiencyVSAvoidheat exchange control

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of energyVSDifficulty of detecting and measuring

Solution Approach 1:

The patent incorporates temperature sensing elements and control systems that continuously monitor the thermal conditions within the reactor chamber. This feedback mechanism allows the system to adjust heating parameters in real-time, maintaining optimal roasting temperatures while managing the challenges of heat exchange control in the integrated reactor-grinder system.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

4Productivity

If dwelling time is reduced to less than 5 minutes, then productivity is improved, but roasting completeness may be compromised

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprocessing speedVSAvoidroasting completeness

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent employs dynamic control of residence time within the reactor, allowing the biomass particles to be continuously moved and repositioned during the roasting-grinding process. This dynamic approach enables the system to achieve complete roasting transformation within reduced dwelling times of less than 5 minutes by optimizing the interaction between heating elements, grinding action, and material flow, thereby maintaining both high productivity and roasting completeness.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

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

The solution achieves significant energy and compactness gains, enhancing biofuel energy density and hydrophobic properties, with improved mechanical strength and reduced energy consumption, enabling the production of high-quality biofuels with increased energy content and mass density.

Implementation Method 1

heating means adapted for heating and maintaining temperature by thermal conduction of at least one portion of the grinding means and at least one portion of the internal walls of the chamber at a predetermined temperature, a so-called roasting temperature, comprised between 200° C. and 350° C.

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectThermal conduction: Conduction (thermal)

Implementation Method 2

maximizing energy transfer through solid/solid heat exchanges

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectThermal conduction: Conduction (thermal)

Data Source

PatentUS9994784B2Reactor for grinding and roasting biomass, biomass processing system and facility incorporating such a reactor, and associated method

Publication Date: 2018.06.12 COMMISSARIAT A LENERGIE ATOMIQUE ET AUX ENERGIES ALTERNATIVES

AI summary

A reactor for grinding and roasting biomass, including: a chamber interiorly delimited with internal walls; a grinder laid out inside the chamber, including a central rotary shaft rotatably mounted in the chamber and grinding elements present on the central rotary shaft for grinding against internal walls and of biomass, or lingo-cellulosic biomass, present inside the chamber; a heater for heating and maintaining by thermal conduction via the grinder the biomass present inside the chamber, at a predetermined called roasting temperature between 200° C. and 350° C., to simultaneously achieve grinding and roasting of the biomass in the chamber.