Integrated Digester Structure with Shared Walls for Biogas Plants
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Solution Overview
Problem
Biogas production plants face challenges due to the large area requirements and high costs associated with the separation of tanks, which increase thermal losses and negatively impact the landscape, as well as pose safety and maintenance access issues.
Innovation Solution
A digester structure that groups basins together within a single structure, using a perimeter wall and inner wall to minimize space and material usage, with tilted surfaces for easier construction and access paths for maintenance, and made of reinforced earth or concrete to reduce costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If tanks are separated and spread out over land area, then each tank has independent access and structure, but the overall plant size increases and land area is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple separate tanks into a single integrated structure with common walls. The perimeter wall and inner walls form a unified structure housing multiple basins, reducing the overall footprint while maintaining functional separation. This merging approach eliminates the need for separate independent structures spread across large land areas.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes vertical space by constructing elevated platforms and positioning tanks at different heights and levels within the same ground footprint. Access paths wind through multiple levels, allowing operational access without requiring horizontal expansion of the plant site.
2Ease of manufacture
If tanks are separated and spread out, then each tank is independently structured, but construction costs increase due to more materials
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple tanks share common perimeter walls and structural supports within the integrated structure. The outer perimeter wall serves as a boundary for the entire facility while inner walls partition the interior space into multiple basins, eliminating the need for duplicate wall structures that would be required for separate tanks.
Solution Approach 2:
The perimeter wall and structural framework serve multiple functions simultaneously: they provide structural support for the entire facility, define the boundaries of individual tanks, support elevated platforms for access, and facilitate thermal insulation for multiple basins. This multi-functionality reduces the total quantity of construction materials required.
3Ease of manufacture
If tanks are separated and spread out, then each tank has its own structure, but thermal losses increase
Solution Approach 1:
Adjacent tanks within the integrated structure share common walls that provide thermal insulation for both tanks simultaneously. The compact arrangement allows heat generated in one basin to partially warm adjacent basins, reducing overall thermal losses compared to widely separated tanks that would each require full insulation independently.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the potential harm of heat loss by positioning tanks in close proximity where thermal radiation and convection from warmer tanks can benefit adjacent tanks. The shared walls and compact configuration transform what would be separate heat loss problems into a system where thermal energy is partially retained and redistributed within the structure.
4Area of stationary object
If tanks are grouped together in single structure, then land area and material usage are reduced, but access for maintenance becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent resolves the access difficulty by utilizing vertical dimensionality with elevated platforms, staircases, and multi-level walkways. Maintenance personnel can access different tanks at various heights through vertical circulation paths, allowing comprehensive access to all basins within the compact footprint without requiring large horizontal access areas.
Solution Approach 2:
The integrated structure is segmented into distinct access zones and maintenance corridors that provide dedicated pathways to each tank. Inner walls are designed with access openings and doorways at strategic locations, and platforms are positioned to provide proximity access to specific basins, ensuring that maintenance operations can be performed efficiently despite the compact arrangement.
Data Source
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AI summary
A digester structure (1) for a biogas production plant (100) comprising: a plurality of basins (10) configured to receive an amount of organic matter to generate biogas following bacterial fermentation in anaerobiosis; a base (20) associated to a support soil (2); a perimeter wall (30) extended between a lower portion (31) associated to the base (20) and an opposite upper portion (32) spaced apart from the lower portion (31) along a height direction (X-X) perpendicular to the base (20), said perimeter wall (30) with the base (20) defining a cavity (40); an inner wall (50) extended between a lower portion (51) associated to the base (20) and an opposite upper portion (52) spaced apart from the lower portion (51) along a height direction (X-X) and configured to subdivide said cavity (40) into the plurality of basins (10).