Thermal Hydrolysis System Without Pumps
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional anaerobic digestion processes face limitations due to long hydraulic residence times and the need for mechanical pumps, which are costly and demanding to maintain, especially when handling high-pressure and high-temperature organic materials.
Innovation Solution
A system that operates without mechanical elements in contact with solids, using dosification vessels and pressurization tanks to achieve continuous and controlled flow, injecting live steam for quick mixing and heating, and recycling steam vapors for preheating, eliminating the need for pumps and allowing short residence times and high temperatures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If mechanical pumps are used to convey high-pressure and high-temperature organic materials, then continuous flow can be achieved, but maintenance costs and device complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical pumps with a thermal field-based conveyance system. High-pressure steam injection creates thermal and pressure gradients that drive the organic material through the reactor without mechanical pumping. The system uses thermal energy and pressure differentials to achieve continuous flow, eliminating the need for mechanical components that would otherwise be required to convey the material.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs pneumatic principles by injecting high-pressure steam into the organic material stream. This creates a gas-liquid mixture that flows through the reactor under pressure gradients generated by the steam injection system. The hydraulic aspect is utilized through the use of liquid organic material flow driven by pressure differentials created during the thermal processing stages.
2Reliability
If long hydraulic residence times are used in conventional anaerobic digestion, then complete hydrolysis can be achieved, but process efficiency and productivity decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The patent fundamentally changes the operating parameters by introducing high temperatures (100-200°C) and high pressures (5-25 bar) into the hydrolysis process. These parameter changes accelerate the hydrolysis reaction rate dramatically, allowing the process to achieve complete hydrolysis in minutes rather than hours or days. The thermal energy input creates favorable conditions for rapid breakdown of organic matter while maintaining process reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes phase transitions of water (liquid to vapor) during the thermal processing. The organic material is heated to temperatures where water evaporates, creating vapor bubbles that facilitate mixing and enhance the hydrolysis reaction. This phase transition mechanism accelerates the breakdown of organic matter and allows for shorter residence times while maintaining complete hydrolysis.
3Productivity
If high temperatures and pressures are applied for thermal hydrolysis, then hydrolysis kinetics improve, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements energy recovery by capturing the thermal energy from the hot organic material and steam vapor exiting the reactor. This energy is recovered through heat exchangers that preheat the incoming feed material and generate steam for injection into the reactor. The system recycles this thermal energy to sustain the high-temperature hydrolysis process, significantly reducing external energy consumption while maintaining high productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent maintains continuous thermal energy input through steady-state operation at high temperatures and pressures. The organic material continuously flows through the reactor where thermal energy is constantly applied to maintain hydrolysis kinetics. This continuous action ensures that the system operates at optimal productivity levels without requiring intermittent energy input, improving overall energy efficiency.
4Productivity
If mechanical elements are used to fracture solid structure, then hydrolysis efficiency improves, but device complexity and maintenance requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical fracture mechanisms with thermal and pressure-driven structural breakdown. High-temperature heating and rapid pressure changes cause the solid organic material to crack and fragment spontaneously without mechanical intervention. The thermal stress and pressure differentials created during steam injection and decompression naturally fracture the solid structure, eliminating the need for mechanical shredding or grinding equipment.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes phase transitions of water (liquid to vapor) to fracture the solid organic material structure. Rapid vaporization creates expanding gas bubbles that mechanically fragment the solid matrix through internal pressure build-up and expansion. This phase transition mechanism naturally fractures the solid structure without requiring external mechanical elements, maintaining hydrolysis efficiency while simplifying the equipment design.
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 enables efficient thermal hydrolysis with reduced maintenance costs, higher temperatures, and improved energy integration, enhancing the methanogenic potential of organic materials while minimizing secondary reactions and equipment size.
Implementation Method 1
injecting live steam for quick mixing and heating
Implementation Method 2
The thermal hydrolysis process is based on keeping the solid at high temperatures and pressures during relatively long periods
Implementation Method 3
it can undergo a sudden decompression or flash process to achieve the so-called steam explosion effect that fractures the structure of the solids
Implementation Method 4
taking advantage of the high pressure of the hot material, it can undergo a sudden decompression
Implementation Method 5
Other processes utilize heat exchangers to recover energy from the hot material
Implementation Method 6
recycling steam vapors for preheating
Implementation Method 7
The thermal hydrolysis process is based on keeping the solid at high temperatures and pressures
Implementation Method 8
keeping the solid at high temperatures and pressures during relatively long periods
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a continuously operational method for thermal hydrolysis of organic matter, which includes an impelling step in which the organic matter is conveyed, without the need to use pumps or other mechanical elements, a hydrolysis step in which the mass to be hydrolyzed is heated using live steam until reaching high temperatures in very short times and, after undergoing a first breakdown of the structure, is maintained at the hydrolysis temperature during a predetermined time, and an energy recovery step with vapors of two enthalpy levels. The invention also relates to a facility for implementing the method, which includes interconnected load and pressurization tanks in the impelling step, a quick mixer and a relief chamber in the hydrolysis step, and a decompression system with a flash chamber and an ejector that mixes the produced vapors in the recovery step.