Removable Anaerobic Digesters for Solid Biomass Biogas
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current biogas production systems face challenges with solid biomass handling, including energy inefficiency, equipment damage, and odor emissions, particularly when dealing with heterogeneous solid biomass, which requires pre-treatment and sorting, leading to increased costs and operational difficulties.
Innovation Solution
A biogas production system featuring removable anaerobic digesters with integrated liquid digestate and biogas networks, allowing for direct introduction and separation of solid biomass without pre-treatment, and utilizing a circulation system for efficient digestion and odor minimization.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If solid biomass is introduced directly into the digester without pre-treatment and sorting, then energy expenditure is reduced and operational efficiency is improved, but equipment damage risk increases due to heterogeneous materials
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the digestion process by introducing solid biomass directly into the digester without pre-treatment, dividing the overall process into distinct stages where heterogeneous materials are handled in-situ during digestion, reducing energy expenditure while maintaining equipment reliability through the segmented approach
2Reliability
If pre-treatment and sorting of solid biomass are performed, then equipment damage is reduced, but operational complexity and costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the pre-treatment and sorting operations from the overall process by introducing solid biomass directly into the digester, removing these complex operational steps while relying on the digestion process itself to handle heterogeneous materials, thereby reducing operational complexity and costs
3Productivity
If liquid digestate is circulated through the solid biomass in the digester, then digestion efficiency is improved, but energy expenditure increases due to pumping requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The system employs periodic circulation of liquid digestate through the solid biomass rather than continuous circulation, using intermittent pumping actions that maintain digestion efficiency while significantly reducing overall energy expenditure compared to continuous operation
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 system enhances the use of solid biomass by reducing energy expenditure, equipment maintenance, and odor production, while minimizing the need for pre-treatment and sorting, thereby improving operational efficiency and cost-effectiveness.
Implementation Method 1
Methanisation (also called anaerobic digestion) is a natural biological process which implements the degradation of organic matter by several types of microorganisms, in particular bacteria, under controlled conditions and this in the absence of oxygen.
Implementation Method 2
The system comprises a circulation means for circulating the liquid digestate through the solid biomass in the digester
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention relates to a system for producing biogas comprising at least one central unit for storing liquid digestate and for additional digestion (25), at least one central unit for storing biogas (25), a plurality of anaerobic digesters (100, 101, 102, 103), a network (33) for supplying liquid digestate (27), a network (35) for discharging liquid digestate (27) and a network (34) for discharging biogas (29); at least one of said anaerobic digesters being removable (100, 101, 102, 103) and able to be connected to and disconnected from said networks (33, 34, 35). The invention also relates to a process for producing biogas and also to a removable solid biomass anaerobic digester (100, 101, 102, 103).