Rotary Bioreactor Elements for High-Solids Biogas Production
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current biogas plants are large, complex, and capital-demanding, requiring long residence times and high water content, which leads to energy losses and inefficiencies in organic waste degradation and biogas production, and face challenges with temperature control and foam formation.
Innovation Solution
A compact bioreactor design featuring a closed container with rotary elements mounted on a shaft, comprising plate-shaped cylinder bodies and a moving device that allows for controlled rotation and high dry solids content, reducing residence time and improving bacterial attachment and gas production while minimizing foam issues through adjustable rotation and temperature control.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If known biogas plants use large tanks with agitation devices and circulation pumps to maintain uniform temperature and mix bacteria, then temperature control is improved, but device complexity and capital requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes complex agitation devices and circulation pumps from the system. Instead of using mechanical mixing equipment, the invention relies on the natural flow of organic material through the reactor and the action of rotary elements to achieve temperature control and bacterial distribution without complex mechanical systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The reactor system performs its own mixing and temperature distribution functions through the natural flow of organic material and the design of the rotary elements. The system self-regulates without requiring external agitation devices or circulation pumps, reducing complexity while maintaining functional performance.
2Reliability
If known biogas plants use long residence times (14-21 days) to convert organic material, then conversion completeness is improved, but productivity and energy efficiency deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces dynamic rotary elements that rotate to continuously expose organic material to bacteria and enhance mass transfer. This dynamic action accelerates the degradation process, reducing the required residence time from 14-21 days to a shorter period while maintaining complete conversion through enhanced biological activity.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the operational parameters by introducing rotary elements that modify the flow dynamics and bacterial distribution within the reactor. This parameter change enables faster degradation rates, allowing the system to achieve complete conversion in shorter residence times while maintaining high productivity.
3Ease of operation
If known biogas plants use high water content in organic material, then fluidity for circulation is improved, but energy consumption and loss of substance increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the dependency on high water content for fluidity. Instead of relying on liquid-phase flow, the system uses rotary elements and controlled material flow to transport and process organic material, reducing energy consumption associated with pumping and circulating large volumes of liquid waste.
4Ease of operation
If known biogas plants operate with high dry solids content, then handling of final product is improved, but foam formation and phase separation problems increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the harmful effect of foam formation by eliminating the mechanical agitation and high-velocity flow that cause foam generation in high dry solids content materials. The rotary elements process the material gently, maintaining high dry solids content (40-50%) without creating foam problems, while the controlled flow prevents phase separation.
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 compact bioreactor achieves faster organic material degradation with higher dry solids content, enhanced bacterial growth, and reduced foam production, resulting in efficient biogas production and easier handling of the final product, capable of serving a larger population with reduced energy and operational costs.
Implementation Method 1
a device for biological degradation of organic material and for producing biogas from said degradation
Implementation Method 2
Fermentation plants, also referred to as biogas plants and bioreactors, where biological waste and organic waste from animals and humans are converted to gas by means of anaerobic biological processes
Implementation Method 3
one or more rotary elements (26) mounted on a shaft (24) and arranged for rotation in the container
Implementation Method 4
Known bioreactors are dependent on the biomass being heated up, usually by means of heating elements in the tank
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3a~5
Figure 6~7b
AI summary
A device for biological degradation of organic material and for producing biogas from said degradation, comprising a closed container (4) with a filling opening (12) for the organic material and discharge openings (5, 18) for the degradation products and one or more rotary elements (26) mounted on a shaft (24) and arranged for rotation in the container. Each rotary element (26) comprises at least one plate- shaped element (28; 28a-c) and a moving device (30) for moving the organic material from a first side (30a) of the moving device to a second side (30b) of the moving device. The plate-shaped element comprises a cylinder body (28; 28a-c) connected to the moving device (30), concentrically about the shaft (24).