Steam Hydrolysis of Vegetable Waste for Biomass Fuel Production
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for producing organic products from vegetable waste, such as those described in Patent Document 1, are inefficient due to the lengthy enzyme-based hydrolysis treatment process.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus utilizing steam hydrolysis treatment, followed by washing and solid-liquid separation, to produce biomass fuel or liquid fertilizer from vegetable waste, with repeated washing steps to reduce potassium content in the solid component, allowing for faster production and utilization of the waste materials.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If enzyme-based hydrolysis treatment is used to produce organic acid from vegetable waste, then the product can be produced with high purity, but the production time becomes excessively long
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the hydrolysis method from enzyme-based to steam-based hydrolysis. This parameter change fundamentally alters the hydrolysis mechanism, enabling rapid breakdown of vegetable waste in 30-120 minutes while maintaining product purity through controlled steam treatment parameters (temperature, pressure, time).
Solution Approach 2:
The invention replaces the biological enzyme system with a thermal steam system. Instead of using enzymatic catalysis which is slow and temperature-sensitive, the patent employs steam-induced hydrolysis that rapidly breaks down cellulose and hemicellulose, achieving both speed and efficiency.
2Reliability
If repeated washing steps are performed to reduce potassium content in solid component, then combustion issues are prevented, but the process complexity and time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The washing process selectively targets the removal of potassium from the solid component while preserving other valuable nutrients. By controlling washing conditions (water quantity, temperature, duration), the process achieves localized purification of the solid fuel component without completely depleting all nutrients, maintaining both combustion quality and fertilizer value.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the washing process is controlled based on potassium content monitoring. The washing steps are adjusted (repeated or terminated) according to the measured potassium levels in the solid component, ensuring combustion stability is achieved with minimal necessary washing, thus balancing reliability with process efficiency.
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 significantly reduces production time to 30 minutes to 2 hours, enabling the efficient conversion of vegetable waste into usable products like biomass fuel and liquid fertilizer, while minimizing potassium content in the solid component to prevent combustion issues and utilizing inexpensive water for washing.
Implementation Method 1
a hydrolysis treatment step of subjecting the raw material to a hydrolysis treatment with steam
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for producing a product by hydrolyzing a raw material containing vegetable waste comprising, a hydrolysis treatment step of subjecting the raw material to a hydrolysis treatment with steam by a hydrolysis treatment apparatus, a washing step of washing the hydrolyzed raw material with a washing liquid by a cleaning apparatus, and a solid-liquid separation step of separating the washed raw material into a solid component and a liquid component by a solid-liquid separation apparatus, wherein at least one of the solid content or the liquid con-tent is used as the product.