WO2024034745A1 - System and method for converting organic waste into solid fuel by hydrothermal carbonization and producing energy - Google Patents

Abstract

Disclosed are a system and method for converting an organic waste into a solid fuel by hydrothermal carbonization and producing energy, in which energy consumption efficiency is improved. According to an aspect of the present invention, provided is an apparatus for the treatment of an organic waste, which is a treatment apparatus that decomposes an organic waste by a hydrothermal carbonization reaction and increases energy density, the apparatus comprising: a hydrothermal carbonization device which receives and carbonizes an organic waste; and a dehydrator which secondarily dehydrates the hydrothermally carbonized organic waste in a mechanical manner.

Description

Solid fuel and energy production system and method of organic waste by hydrothermal carbonization

The present invention relates to a solid fuel conversion and energy production system and method by hydrothermal carbonization of organic waste with improved energy consumption efficiency.

The content described in this section simply provides background information for this embodiment and does not constitute prior art.

In general, biological treatment methods are applied as a treatment method for organic sewage and wastewater, and in the process, a large amount of organic waste including sewage and wastewater sludge, livestock waste, etc. is generated. The organic waste generated in this way has been concentrated and dehydrated and then disposed of by incineration or landfill.

However, this disposal method has problems such as prohibition of direct landfilling of sludge, difficulty in securing a landfill disposal site, and increased fuel costs for incineration. In addition, as the amount of organic waste generated increases every year, its disposal costs continue to rise. Therefore, various treatment methods for recycling, including incineration and fuel conversion of organic waste, have been proposed.

Organic waste such as sewage and wastewater sludge has high potential as an energy source, but contains a large amount of moisture, so it consumes a lot of energy to turn it into fuel. Accordingly, the hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) method, which induces a dehydration reaction by heating organic waste with high moisture content to a certain temperature, has recently been attracting attention as a technology suitable for converting organic waste into solid fuel.

However, since hydrothermal carbonization also uses high temperature and high pressure thermal energy, attempts are being made to conserve energy while maximizing utilization and to supplement operational problems that may arise due to high pressure.

One embodiment of the present invention is, The purpose is to provide a solid fuel conversion and energy production system that can reduce energy usage by producing and recovering heat energy from the generated solid fuel and reusing it within the system.

According to one aspect of the present invention, in a treatment device that decomposes organic waste through a hydrothermal carbonization reaction and increases energy density, a hydrothermal carbonization device that receives and carbonizes organic waste, and a dehydrator that mechanically dehydrates the hydrothermal carbonized organic waste. It provides an organic waste treatment device using hydrothermal carbonization, comprising:

According to one aspect of the present invention, the dehydrator for mechanically dehydrating the hydrothermally carbonized organic waste is a filter press.

According to one aspect of the present invention, the hydrothermal carbonization device includes a preheating tank for receiving organic waste and preheating it, a plurality of hydrothermal carbonization reactors for receiving organic waste preheated from the preheating tank and hydrothermal carbonizing it in a preset environment, and each hydrothermal carbonization reactor. A pressure reduction tank that receives all products except for some of the gaseous components among the hydrothermally carbonized products in the carbonization reactor, separates the gaseous components from the hydrothermal carbonization products other than the gas, and discharges the gaseous components into the preheating tank and discharges the hydrothermal carbonization products other than the gas to the outside. , a steam purification tank that receives a part of the gas component of the hydrothermal carbonization product from one hydrothermal carbonization reactor, separates the gas component and the liquid component, and discharges the gas component to another hydrothermal carbonization reactor and the liquid component to the pressure reduction tank; It is characterized by comprising a control unit that controls the operation of each component of the hydrothermal carbonization device.

According to one aspect of the present invention, it further includes a heat exchanger for lowering the temperature of the hydrothermal carbonization product discharged from the hydrothermal carbonization device, wherein the heat exchanger receives the hydrothermal carbonization product from the pressure reduction tank and cools it to a preset temperature, It is characterized in that it is supplied to the dehydrator.

According to one aspect of the present invention, the hydrothermal carbonization device is characterized in that each hydrothermal carbonization reactor hydrothermally carbonizes organic waste through the same process, but performs different operations with time differences.

According to one aspect of the present invention, the control unit is characterized in that when the pressure due to the gas component in any one of the hydrothermal carbonization reactors is greater than a preset standard value, the control unit discharges a portion of the gas component to the steam purification tank.

According to one aspect of the present invention, the preset environment is characterized by having a pressure of 5 to 64 bar and a temperature of 150 to 280 ° C.

According to one aspect of the present invention, the hydrothermal carbonization device further includes an ejector that injects steam introduced from the outside and gas components separated and discharged from the steam purification tank into one of the hydrothermal carbonization reactors.

According to one aspect of the present invention, the heat exchanger reduces energy consumption by combining the heated cooling water generated by cooling the hydrothermal carbonization product with the feed water of the boiler that supplies steam to the hydrothermal carbonization device. do.

According to one aspect of the present invention, an organic waste treatment device using hydrothermal carbonization and an organic waste material including a solid fuel conversion and energy generation unit for crushing and molding the solid product discharged from the dehydrator to produce solid fuel and producing heat energy therefrom. It provides a solid fuel conversion and energy production system for waste.

According to one aspect of the present invention, the solid fuel conversion and energy generation unit includes a crushing/forming unit that receives the solid product and produces solid fuel of a preset size and shape, a combustion device that produces heat energy using the solid fuel, and It is characterized in that it includes a steam boiler that generates steam by receiving the produced heat energy.

According to one aspect of the present invention, the solid fuel conversion and energy generation unit further includes a dryer for drying the solid fuel produced in the preset size and shape.

According to one aspect of the present invention, steam generated in the steam boiler is supplied to the hydrothermal carbonization device and used as heat energy for a hydrothermal carbonization reaction.

According to one aspect of the present invention, in the method of converting organic waste into solid fuel and producing energy by hydrothermal carbonization, a preheating step of receiving organic waste from a preheating tank and preheating it, preheating the organic waste in the preheating step using a first hydrothermal carbonization reactor A hydrothermal carbonization step in which organic waste is approved and hydrothermally carbonized within a preset environment. Using a pressure reduction tank, all products remaining carbonized in the hydrothermal carbonization step except for a portion of the gaseous component are introduced and depressurized to obtain the gaseous component and the remaining gaseous component. A discharge step in which the product is separated, the gaseous component is discharged to the preheating tank, and the remaining product is discharged to a heat exchanger to lower the temperature, and a portion of the gaseous component of the carbonized product in the hydrothermal carbonization step is introduced using a steam purification tank to form a gaseous component and a liquid. A purification step of separating the components, discharging the gaseous component to the second hydrothermal carbonization reactor and the liquid component to the pressure reduction tank, and collecting the hydrothermal carbonization product discharged from the pressure reduction tank in the first storage tank after cooling in the heat exchanger. A dehydration step of receiving and dehydrating the hydrothermal carbonization product collected in the first storage tank in a dehydrator to discharge a solid product, and forming the dehydrated solid product into solid fuel of a predetermined size and shape and producing thermal energy therefrom. It includes fuel conversion and energy production steps, and the hydrothermal carbonization reactor includes a plurality of reactors, and each hydrothermal carbonization reactor carbonizes organic waste through the same process, but is characterized in that it performs different operations at time intervals. Provides methods for converting organic waste into solid fuel and recovering energy.

According to one aspect of the present invention, the dehydrator in the dehydration step is a filter press.

As described above, according to one aspect of the present invention, by producing a solid fuel with high energy density and low water content, the amount of heat energy consumed for drying in the process of turning organic waste into fuel and the waste in the form of incineration ash finally discharged are reduced. It has the advantage of reducing processing costs.

Additionally, there is an advantage in improving energy consumption efficiency when performing a hydrothermal carbonization reaction.

Figure 1 is a diagram showing a process diagram of a solid fuel conversion and energy production system by hydrothermal carbonization of organic waste according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of a solid fuel conversion and energy generation unit according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 3 is a diagram showing the configuration of the solid fuel conversion and energy generation unit according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 4 is a diagram showing the configuration of a hydrothermal carbonization device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 5 is a diagram showing the operation sequence of a hydrothermal carbonization reactor according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 6 is a diagram showing the operation sequence of each hydrothermal carbonization reactor according to an embodiment of the present invention.

7 to 12 are diagrams showing the operation sequence of a hydrothermal carbonization device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 13 is a diagram showing the configuration of a hydrothermal carbonization device according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 14 is a flowchart showing a method of converting organic waste into solid fuel and producing energy by hydrothermal carbonization according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Since the present invention can make various changes and have various embodiments, specific embodiments will be illustrated in the drawings and described in detail. However, this is not intended to limit the present invention to specific embodiments, and should be understood to include all changes, equivalents, and substitutes included in the spirit and technical scope of the present invention. While describing each drawing, similar reference numerals are used for similar components.

Terms such as first, second, A, and B may be used to describe various components, but the components should not be limited by the terms. The above terms are used only for the purpose of distinguishing one component from another. For example, a first component may be named a second component, and similarly, the second component may also be named a first component without departing from the scope of the present invention. The term and/or includes any of a plurality of related stated items or a combination of a plurality of related stated items.

When a component is said to be "connected" or "connected" to another component, it is understood that it may be directly connected to or connected to the other component, but that other components may exist in between. It should be. On the other hand, when it is mentioned that a component is “directly connected” or “directly connected” to another component, it should be understood that there are no other components in between.

The terms used in this application are only used to describe specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the invention. Singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. In this application, terms such as "include" or "have" should be understood as not precluding the existence or addition possibility of features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof described in the specification. .

Unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein, including technical or scientific terms, have the same meaning as generally understood by a person of ordinary skill in the technical field to which the present invention pertains.

Terms defined in commonly used dictionaries should be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with the meaning in the context of the related technology, and unless explicitly defined in the present application, should not be interpreted in an ideal or excessively formal sense. No.

Additionally, each configuration, process, process, or method included in each embodiment of the present invention may be shared within the scope of not being technically contradictory to each other.

Figure 1 is a diagram showing a solid fuel conversion and energy production system by hydrothermal carbonization of organic waste according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown, the solid fuel conversion and energy production system 100 by hydrothermal carbonization (hereinafter abbreviated as 'system 100') according to an embodiment of the present invention includes an organic waste storage tank 110, a hydrothermal carbonization device ( 120), a first storage tank 130, a filter press 140, a second storage tank 150, and a solid fuel conversion and energy generation unit 160.

The organic waste storage tank 110 receives organic waste and temporarily stores it until it is supplied to the hydrothermal carbonization device 120.

The organic waste flowing into the organic waste storage tank 110 may be sludge that has undergone primary dehydration at a sewage and wastewater treatment plant, and in this case, the organic waste has a moisture content of approximately 80%.

Meanwhile, the organic waste storage tank 110 may receive additional organic waste such as dehydrated sludge from a food waste treatment plant or dehydrated sludge from a livestock waste treatment plant, in addition to the dehydrated sludge generated from a sewage and wastewater treatment plant.

The hydrothermal carbonization device 120 receives organic waste from the organic waste storage tank 110, hydrothermally carbonizes the organic waste, and discharges the hydrothermal carbonization product into the first storage tank 130.

Hydrothermal carbonization occurs when the temperature of the reactor is raised by an external heat source in a closed system of a closed reactor, some of the solid organic matter is decomposed by hot water in the range of 150 to 280 ℃, and carbonization occurs without evaporation of moisture. This is going on. In this process, decarboxylation and dehydration reactions are induced, the energy density of the solid fuel increases through carbon fixation, and dehydration can be improved due to hydrophobization.

The hydrothermal carbonization device 120 hydrothermally carbonizes organic waste under a preset temperature and pressure, further improving the moisture removal rate in the filter press 140. At this time, the hydrothermal carbonization device 120 receives steam generated from the solid fuel conversion and energy generation unit 160 and performs hydrothermal carbonization of the organic waste.

The specific configuration and operation sequence of the hydrothermal carbonization device 120 will be described later with reference to FIGS. 4 to 13.

The first storage tank 130 receives the hydrothermal carbonization product processed in the hydrothermal carbonization device 120 and stores it before inputting it into the filter press 140.

The filter press 140 receives the hydrothermal carbonization product from the first storage tank 130 and separates it into solid and liquid. The filter press 140 discharges the dehydrated solid product into the second storage tank 150, and the desorbed liquid joins the main stream of the sewage and wastewater treatment plant for post-treatment or is connected to an anaerobic digestion tank (not shown).

Since the hydrothermal carbonization product is hydrophobicized during the hydrothermal carbonization process, it can be easily separated into solid and liquid. Therefore, the filter press 140 can dehydrate the hydrothermal carbonization product to form a solid product with a moisture content of 45% (35 to 45%) or less.

The filter press 140 performs dewatering using press-in filtration and compression methods, and has the advantage of being easily installed in a small site area and achieving a lower moisture content compared to general mechanical dehydrators.

The filter press 140 is operated in a batch manner and operates in the following order: input of the object, primary solid-liquid separation by pressure filtration, dehydration by high-pressure squeezing, and separation of the separated cake.

As mentioned above, the filter press can achieve the lowest moisture content among conventional mechanical dehydrators. In general, when primary dewatering sludge is dehydrated at a sewage and wastewater treatment plant using only a filter press, the water content of the discharged dehydrated cake is only 55 to 65%.

However, since the system 100 processes organic waste by sequentially arranging the hydrothermal carbonization device 120 and the filter press 140, The discharged solid product has a moisture content of less than 45%. As a result, the system 100 can save energy consumed for moisture removal when converting organic waste into solid fuel.

The second storage tank 150 receives the dehydrated solid product from the filter press 140 and temporarily stores it until fuel conversion and energy production are performed in the solid fuel conversion and energy generation unit 160.

The solid fuel conversion and energy generation unit 160 receives the dehydrated solid product, generates the solid product into solid fuel, and produces heat energy from the generated solid fuel.

The heat energy produced in the solid fuel conversion and energy generation unit 160 is generated as heat energy in the form of steam and supplied to the hydrothermal carbonization device 120. In addition, solid fuel used to produce heat energy in the solid fuel conversion and energy generation unit 160 may be discharged in the form of incineration ash (Ash) and processed on consignment.

Figure 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of the solid fuel conversion and energy generation unit 160 according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 2, the solid fuel conversion and energy generation unit 160 includes a crusher/former 210, a third storage tank 230, a combustion device 250, and a steam boiler 270.

The crushing/molding machine 210 receives the solid product collected in the second storage tank 150, crushes it to be suitable for transport and molding, and molds it into a preset shape to produce solid fuel.

The crushing/forming machine 210 can receive heat energy (hot air) from the combustion device 250. The moisture content of the solid fuel formed in the crushing/forming machine 210 is lowered to 20 to 25% by the heat energy supplied from the combustion device 250.

Therefore, the solid fuel discharged from the crushing/forming machine 210 has a preset size and shape and is in a solid state, so its applicability in the combustion device 250 can be improved. The solid fuel produced in the crushing/forming machine 210 is discharged to the third storage tank 230.

The third storage tank 230 receives the solid fuel produced in the crushing/forming machine 210 and temporarily stores it until it is supplied to the combustion device 250.

The third storage tank 230 may include a temperature sensor and a fire-fighting water supply device to prevent fires caused by spontaneous ignition, and may include a moisture removal facility to prevent moisture from condensing inside the third storage tank 230. there is.

The solid fuel stored in the third storage tank 230 is supplied to the combustion device 250 by a fixed-quantity supply means (not shown).

The combustion device 250 burns the solid fuel supplied from the third storage tank 230 to produce heat energy required for the system 100, and discharges the burned solid fuel to the outside in the form of incineration ash (Ash).

The combustion device 250 may provide a portion of the produced heat energy in the form of hot air to the crushing/forming machine 210 as described above, and transfer the remaining heat energy to the steam boiler 270 to be used for steam production. there is.

As an example, the combustion device 250 may provide stoker-type or rotary kiln-type combustion, but is not limited thereto.

The steam boiler 270 recovers heat energy provided from the combustion device 250 and produces steam required by the system 100. The steam boiler 270 provides the produced steam as a heat source for the hydrothermal carbonization device 120.

The system 100 can operate independently without supplying additional heat energy from the outside by producing heat energy using the produced solid fuel and supplying it into the system 100. Furthermore, the system 100 can produce additional heat energy (steam), creating added value.

Figure 3 is a diagram showing the configuration of the solid fuel conversion and energy generation unit 160 according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

Since the solid fuel conversion and energy generation unit 160 according to the second embodiment of the present invention includes the same configuration as the solid fuel conversion and energy generation unit 160 of the first embodiment, hereinafter, the first embodiment shown in FIG. Only differences from the solid fuel conversion and energy generation unit 160 of the embodiment will be described.

Referring to FIG. 3, the solid fuel conversion and energy generation unit 160 according to the second embodiment of the present invention includes a dryer 240 in the structure of the solid fuel conversion and energy generation unit 160 according to the second embodiment of the present invention. and a fourth storage tank 245.

The dryer 240 is disposed at the rear end of the third storage tank 230 to receive the solid fuel discharged from the third storage tank 230 and dry it.

As described above, the moisture content of the solid fuel produced in the crushing/forming machine 230 is at the level of 20 to 25%, and the dryer 240 increases the calorific value of the solid fuel by lowering the moisture content of the solid fuel to 10%.

Therefore, the solid fuel that has passed through the dryer 240 can produce more heat energy in the combustion device 250, and as a result, the steam boiler 270 can also produce more heat energy (steam), so the system 100 can provide additional heat energy. Added value can be created through thermal energy production.

The dryer 240 can dry solid fuel by receiving heat energy generated by the solid fuel conversion and energy generation unit 160.

As an example, the dryer 240 can dry solid fuel by receiving steam produced by the steam boiler 270. In this case, the dryer 240 uses steam to increase the temperature of the dryer 240 by using an indirect heating method. Use .

Additionally, the dryer 240 may receive exhaust gas from the combustion device 250. In this case, the exhaust gas supplied from the combustion device 250 can be directly introduced into the dryer 240 to dry the solid fuel in the dryer 240 by direct heating. However, the drying method of the dryer 240 for drying solid fuel is not limited to this.

The fourth storage tank 245 receives solid fuel dried in the dryer 240 and temporarily stores it until it is supplied to the combustion device 250.

Since the fourth storage tank 245 is also a space for storing solid fuel, like the above-described third storage tank 230, it may include a temperature sensor and a fire-fighting water supply device to prevent fires due to spontaneous ignition, and may be installed inside the storage tank. It may further include moisture removal equipment to prevent moisture condensation.

As described above, the system 100 can lower the moisture content of the solid product to 45% or less (35 to 45%) by sequentially arranging the hydrothermal carbonization device 120 and the filter press 140.

Typically, the moisture content of the primary dewatered sludge discharged from a sewage and wastewater treatment plant is more than 80%, and a significant amount of heat energy is consumed to produce solid fuel by lowering the moisture content of the sludge to less than 10% using only a dryer. Even though the conventional system produces and recovers heat energy (steam) using the produced solid fuel, the heat energy required for drying is insufficient and additional heat energy must be supplied from the outside.

However, since the system 100 uses the hydrothermal carbonization device 120 and the filter press 140 to generate a solid product with a moisture content of 45% or less, the heat energy consumption required to dry the solid product and turn it into fuel can be reduced.

For example, when primary dehydrated organic waste (moisture content of 80%) is directly dried with solid fuel of 10% moisture content, the energy consumed in the steam boiler is approximately 1,084,110 kcal/ton. On the other hand, 186,140 kcal/ton of heat energy is consumed in the steam boiler to produce a solid product (45% moisture content) by processing the primary dehydrated organic waste with the hydrothermal carbonization device 120 and the filter press 140, which consumes 10 It is calculated that 262,190 kcal/ton of heat energy is consumed in the steam boiler for drying solid fuel with % moisture content.

In other words, the system 100 can save about 60% of heat energy compared to solid fuel conversion by using direct drying of organic waste.

Additionally, the system 100 can be operated without supplying additional heat energy from the outside by supplying the heat energy required for the system 100 using the produced solid fuel. In addition, the system 100 reduces the weight of the finally discharged incineration ash (Ash) by more than 95% compared to the weight of the organic waste flowing into the system 100, thereby reducing the cost of processing the final discharged waste. .

Figure 4 is a diagram showing the configuration of a hydrothermal carbonization device 120 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to Figure 4, the hydrothermal carbonization device 120 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a preheating tank 121, a plurality of hydrothermal carbonization reactors 122, a pressure reduction tank 123, a steam purification tank 124, and a heat exchanger. It includes a device 125 and a control unit (not shown).

The preheating tank 121 receives the organic waste to be treated and preheats it. The hydrothermal carbonization reactor 122, which will be described later, carbonizes organic waste under conditions of relatively high temperature and high pressure. Accordingly, a relatively large amount of heat energy must be consumed. To prevent this, a preheating tank 121 is placed in front of the hydrothermal carbonization reactor 122 during the treatment process to preheat the organic waste to be carbonized.

The preheating tank 121 does not receive heat energy (mainly in the form of steam) from a separate heat source, but receives gas components separated from the pressure reduction tank 123, which will be described later. The gas components separated in the pressure reduction tank 123 have a constant temperature. The gas components separated in the pressure reduction tank 123 are returned to the preheating tank 121 and used for preheating rather than being vented to the outside. Accordingly, the preheating tank 121 can preheat the organic waste introduced by the gas component separated in the pressure reduction tank 123 without the need to receive heat energy from a separate heat source, thereby minimizing energy consumption.

The hydrothermal carbonization reactor 122 receives the organic waste preheated from the preheating tank 121 and carbonizes it. The hydrothermal carbonization reactor 122 carbonizes organic waste so that it can be smoothly dehydrated in the filter press 140 and produced as solid fuel in the solid fuel conversion and energy generation unit 160.

The hydrothermal carbonization reactor 122 operates as shown in FIG. 5.

Figure 5 is a diagram showing the operation sequence of a hydrothermal carbonization reactor according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to Figure 5, first, preheated organic waste is input into the hydrothermal carbonization reactor 122. When organic waste is input, a preset environment must be created so that a carbonization reaction can occur in the hydrothermal carbonization reactor 122. The preset environment may be an environment having a temperature of 150 to 280° C. under a pressure of 5 to 64 bar. More specifically, the preset environment may be an environment having a temperature of 180 to 250° C. under a pressure of about 10 to 40 bar. At this time, heat energy (steam) is applied from the steam boiler 270 so that the hydrothermal carbonization reactor 122 can secure a preset temperature environment. In a preset environment, in particular, when sufficient temperature rise occurs and temperature conditions are met, a carbonization reaction occurs within the hydrothermal carbonization reactor 122. The hydrothermal carbonization reaction proceeds for a preset time (for example, several tens of minutes), and after the reaction is completed, some of the gas components of the product are discharged to the steam purification tank (124) and all remaining products are discharged to the pressure reduction tank (123). The hydrothermal carbonization reactor 122 operates like this and hydrothermal carbonizes the organic waste.

Referring again to FIG. 4, the hydrothermal carbonization reactor 122 may be implemented in plural numbers. After the carbonization reaction is completed in one of the hydrothermal carbonization reactors (122), some of the gas components in the product are discharged to the steam purification tank (124). As described above, the gas component separated from the pressure reduction tank 123 flows into the preheating tank 121, while the gas component (steam) is contained in the steam purification tank 124, which will be described later, similarly to the pressure reduction tank 123. Separate remaining products other than gas that may be present. The gas component separated in the steam purification tank 124 flows into another hydrothermal carbonization reactor 122 to assist in setting the temperature for hydrothermal carbonization. This is possible because a plurality of hydrothermal carbonization reactors (122a to 122d) each operate as shown in FIG. 6.

Figure 6 is a diagram showing the operation sequence of each hydrothermal carbonization reactor according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Each hydrothermal carbonization reactor (122a to 122d) operates as described with reference to FIG. 5, but operates with a time difference. For example, as shown in FIG. 6, when the hydrothermal carbonization reactor (122a) enters the process of receiving organic waste from the preheating tank 121 and raising the temperature, the hydrothermal carbonization reactor (122b) is finally converted to organic waste. Waste may begin to flow in from the preheating tank 121. The hydrothermal carbonization reactor (122c) may begin to receive organic waste from the preheating tank 121 at the time the hydrothermal carbonization reactor (122a) begins to carbonize the organic waste, and the hydrothermal carbonization reactor (122d) may send the reaction-completed product to the outside. At the time of discharge, organic waste may begin to flow in from the preheating tank 121. When operating in this way, as described above, the gas component (steam) discharged from one hydrothermal carbonization reactor 122 and purified flows into the other hydrothermal carbonization reactor whose temperature is being raised, thereby reducing the amount of heat energy consumption required for temperature raising. You can.

Referring again to FIG. 4, in this way, the hydrothermal carbonization reactor 122 can secure some of the heat required for the hydrothermal carbonization reaction from the gas component generated in the other hydrothermal carbonization reactor 122, thereby minimizing wasted energy and increasing the temperature. Energy consumption can be reduced.

The hydrothermal carbonization reactor 122 includes a pressure sensor therein, and separates and discharges part of the gas component of the product from the hydrothermal carbonization reaction into the steam purification tank 124 under the control of a control unit (not shown). The hydrothermal carbonization reactor 122 senses the pressure inside the reactor and is separated from the pressure reduction tank 123 and returned to the preheating tank 121, so that all remaining gas components except the amount sufficient to preheat the preheating tank 121 are steam. It is separated and discharged into the purification tank (124). By performing sensing, the hydrothermal carbonization reactor 122 discharges the remaining amount other than the amount exactly required for preheating to the steam purification tank 124, so that the temperature of the other hydrothermal carbonization reactor can be raised. Conventionally, the entire amount was discharged to the pressure reduction tank 123, and even if all the gas components were returned to the preheating tank and used for preheating, more than the amount necessary for preheating was returned, so the remaining gas components used for preheating were all discharged and discarded.

Alternatively, the hydrothermal carbonization reactor 122 senses the internal pressure to determine whether there are abnormally excessive gas components in the reactor or whether excessive steam is input from the outside. If the pressure due to gas components in the reactor is higher than the preset standard value, the hydrothermal carbonization reactor 122 transfers all gas components to the steam purification tank 124 under the control of a control unit (not shown) until the pressure falls below the standard value. discharge. The hydrothermal carbonization reactor 122 discharges a certain amount of gas components into the steam purification tank 124, thereby preventing the risk of explosion of the hydrothermal carbonization reactor, and heat can be recovered and used for heating other hydrothermal carbonization reactors.

The pressure reduction tank 123 receives most of the products generated after the hydrothermal carbonization reaction is completed in the hydrothermal carbonization reactor 122 and separates them into gas components and remaining components other than gas (for example, in the form of slurry). Among the products produced by the hydrothermal carbonization reaction, only solid/liquid components correspond to components to be discharged after post-processing, and gas components correspond to components unrelated to post-processing. Therefore, the pressure reduction tank 123 separates the gas component and the remaining components other than the gas from the product so that the corresponding component can be separated and used for preheating. The pressure reduction tank 123 has a relatively low pressure from the hydrothermal carbonization reactor 122. Due to decompression, the temperature of the products decreases, so components with a lower boiling point (than the temperature inside the decompression tank) remain in the gaseous state, while components with a higher boiling point (than the temperature inside the decompression tank) are liquefied into a liquid component. In this way, the pressure reduction tank 123 creates a pressure difference with the hydrothermal carbonization reactor 122, causing certain components to be in a liquid state and the remaining components to be in a gaseous state. The pressure reduction tank 123 returns the separated gas components to the preheating tank 121, and transfers the remaining hydrothermal carbonization products other than the gas components to the first storage tank 130 through the heat exchanger 125 for post-processing.

The steam purification tank 124 receives some of the gas components discharged from the hydrothermal carbonization reactor 122 and purifies the liquid components. Since the hydrothermal carbonization reactor 122 has a relatively high pressure, even if only the gas component is discharged from the reactor 122, all liquid components are generated after discharge, or the liquid component is generated as the gas component is discharged at high pressure. It may be discharged together. Accordingly, the steam purification tank 124 separates the gas component and the liquid component, and transfers the liquid component to the pressure reduction tank 123 and the gas component to another hydrothermal carbonization reactor into which the preheated organic waste will be introduced. The steam purification tank 124 separates gas components and liquid components from the product as follows.

Among the products produced in the hydrothermal carbonization reactor 122, components other than gas correspond to components that have already completed the hydrothermal carbonization reaction. If these components are put back into the hydrothermal carbonization reactor and undergo a hydrothermal carbonization reaction, it is inefficient and wasteful in terms of energy consumption. In addition, when organic waste is input from the preheating tank 121 to a specific hydrothermal carbonization reactor 122, an appropriate amount is input so that the hydrothermal carbonization reaction can smoothly occur in the hydrothermal carbonization reactor 122. At this time, when hydrothermal carbonization products other than the gas components generated in other hydrothermal carbonization reactors are introduced into the hydrothermal carbonization reactor, more than an appropriate amount is introduced into the hydrothermal carbonization reactor. This causes an inefficient hydrothermal carbonization reaction and causes more than the appropriate amount of heat energy to be consumed. To prevent these problems, the steam purification tank 124 separates the liquid component and the gas component in the product discharged from the hydrothermal carbonization reactor 122 and transfers each to different configurations.

The steam purification tank 124 may be implemented in any shape or structure as long as it can separate gas components and liquid components.

The heat exchanger 125 lowers the temperature of the hydrothermal carbonization product discharged from the pressure reduction tank 123 and adjusts it to the preset operating temperature of the filter press 140 applied at the rear.

The heat exchanger 125 circulates cooling water and exchanges heat with the high-temperature hydrothermal carbonization product, thereby lowering the temperature of the hydrothermal carbonization product. Since the temperature of the hydrothermal carbonization product discharged from the pressure reduction tank 123 is about 100 ℃, the heat exchanger 125 lowers the temperature of the hydrothermal carbonization product to about 60 ℃, which is the appropriate temperature range of the filter press 140, and then 1 Supply liquid ingredients to the storage tank 130.

Meanwhile, the cooling water whose temperature is raised by heat exchange with the high-temperature hydrothermal carbonization product can be recovered to the steam boiler 270 for supplying heat energy (steam) to the hydrothermal carbonization reactor 122. In other words, the heated cooling water joins the boiler water for steam generation, thereby reducing the energy consumed by the boiler for steam generation.

As described above, the control unit (not shown) controls the operation of each component of the hydrothermal carbonization device 120.

The control unit (not shown) controls the flow of organic waste to be treated into the preheating tank 121. To this end, the preheating tank 121 may include a water level gauge, and the control unit (not shown) injects the waste from the organic waste storage tank 110 into the preheating tank 121 when the water level of the preheating tank 121 is below a preset water level. And, if it is above the preset level, waste input is controlled to stop.

The control unit (not shown) may control the pressure reduction tank 123 to return the gas component separated in the pressure reduction tank 123 to the preheating tank 121 in order to preheat the organic waste.

The control unit (not shown) controls the organic waste preheated in the preheating tank 121 to be transferred to the hydrothermal carbonization reactor (eg, 122a). After being transferred, the control unit (not shown) separates the steam from the steam boiler 270 from the product in the other hydrothermal carbonization reactor (e.g., 122c) so that the hydrothermal carbonization reaction can occur in the hydrothermal carbonization reactor (122a). Gas component (steam) is introduced into the hydrothermal carbonization reactor (122a). Accordingly, a hydrothermal carbonization reaction occurs in the hydrothermal carbonization reactor (122a).

At this time, the control unit (not shown) determines whether the pressure within the hydrothermal carbonization reactor 122a is below a preset standard value. If the pressure in the hydrothermal carbonization reactor 122a is below a preset standard value, it corresponds to a situation in which the hydrothermal carbonization reaction is proceeding without abnormality. On the other hand, when the pressure within the hydrothermal carbonization reactor 122a exceeds a preset standard value, this corresponds to a situation in which an abnormality may occur in the reactor 122 due to abnormally increased gas components or excessive input of steam from the outside. Accordingly, the control unit (not shown) discharges the gas component into the steam purification tank 124 until the pressure falls below a preset standard value. Accordingly, the control unit (not shown) resolves the abnormality in the hydrothermal carbonization reactor (122a).

When the hydrothermal carbonization reaction proceeds for a preset time in the hydrothermal carbonization reactor (122a), the control unit (not shown) discharges some of the gas components to the steam purification tank (124) and discharges all remaining products to the pressure reduction tank (123). At this time, when discharging the gas component, the control unit (not shown) separates from the pressure reduction tank 123 and discharges all the amount except the amount sufficient to preheat the organic waste in the preheating tank 121 to the steam purification tank 124. Accordingly, in addition to the gas components required for preheating, the remaining gas components can be used to heat other hydrothermal carbonization reactors without being discharged to the outside, thereby maximizing energy efficiency.

The control unit (not shown) controls the pressure reduction tank 123 to separate the gas component and the remaining hydrothermal carbonization products other than the gas, and transfers the gas component to the preheating tank 121 and the hydrothermal carbonization product to the heat exchanger 125 for dehydration. Control it to be discharged.

At the same time, the remaining hydrothermal carbonization reactors (122b to 122d) are also controlled in parallel to operate in order. The process by which the control unit (not shown) controls the operation of each hydrothermal carbonization reactor will be described later with reference to FIGS. 7 to 12.

As the control unit (not shown) controls each component in this way, heat energy applied from the steam boiler 270 can be minimized by recycling heat energy sources as much as possible without wasting heat energy.

7 to 12 are diagrams showing the operation sequence of the hydrothermal carbonization device 120 according to an embodiment of the present invention. 7 to 12 show in detail the process in which the hydrothermal carbonization device 120 receives and processes organic waste.

Referring to FIG. 7, organic waste is (for the first time) introduced into the preheating tank 121 and preheated under the control of a control unit (not shown).

Referring to FIG. 8, the preheated organic waste is introduced into the hydrothermal carbonization reactor (122a), and heat energy (in the form of steam) is applied (for the first time) from the steam boiler 270 to increase its temperature.

Referring to FIG. 9, when no special abnormality occurs in the hydrothermal carbonization reactor 122a, the hydrothermal carbonization reactor 122a is separated from the pressure reduction tank 123 under the control of a control unit (not shown) and is placed in the preheating tank 121. The remaining gas components other than the amount sufficient to preheat the organic waste are discharged to the steam purification tank (124), and all remaining products are discharged to the pressure reduction tank (123). When the internal pressure of the hydrothermal carbonization reactor (122a) exceeds the preset standard value, the hydrothermal carbonization reactor (122a) discharges gas components into the steam purification tank 124 and all remaining components until the internal pressure falls below the preset standard value. The product is discharged to the pressure reduction tank (123).

Referring to FIG. 10, organic waste flows into the preheating tank 121 and is preheated by gas components returned from the pressure reduction tank 123, and the preheated organic waste flows into the hydrothermal carbonization reactor 122c.

Referring to FIG. 11, the liquid component separated from the steam purification tank 124 flows into the pressure reduction tank 123, and the gas component flows into the hydrothermal carbonization reactor (122c). In addition, heat energy (in the form of steam) is supplied from the steam boiler 270. ) is applied to increase the temperature of the hydrothermal carbonization reactor (122c).

At this time, when gas components and heat energy are applied to the hydrothermal carbonization reactor 122c, all gas components are applied first, and then energy is applied from the steam boiler 270. The steam boiler 270, which applies heat energy to the hydrothermal carbonization reactor, has a relatively high pressure. Meanwhile, the steam purification tank 124 has a relatively low pressure. Accordingly, when both are applied to the hydrothermal carbonization reactor (122c) at the same time, a problem occurs in which gas components are not completely applied from the steam purification tank 124 to the hydrothermal carbonization reactor (122c) due to the pressure difference. Furthermore, a problem may occur in which heat energy (steam) applied from the steam boiler 270 to the hydrothermal carbonization reactor 122c is discharged toward the steam purification tank 124. To prevent this, gas components are first applied from the steam purification tank 124 to the hydrothermal carbonization reactor 122c, and then heat energy (steam) is applied from the steam boiler 270 to the hydrothermal carbonization reactor 122c. Accordingly, all components can be applied to the hydrothermal carbonization reactor.

Referring to FIG. 12, the pressure reduction tank 123 transfers hydrothermal carbonization products other than the separated gas to the heat exchanger 125 under the control of a control unit (not shown), and returns the separated gas component to the preheating tank 121. This provides the heat energy necessary for preheating.

As the gas component separated in the steam purification tank 124 flows into the hydrothermal carbonization reactor (122c), the amount of heat energy applied from the steam boiler 270 may be reduced by the gas component. In this way, the hydrothermal carbonization reaction proceeds in the temperature-elevated hydrothermal carbonization reactor 122c, and the process of FIGS. 9 to 12 can be repeated again.

Figure 13 shows a hydrothermal carbonization device according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 13, the hydrothermal carbonization device 120 according to another embodiment of the present invention may further include an ejector 1310 in the configuration of the hydrothermal carbonization device 120 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The ejector 1310 is located on a thermal energy supply path that supplies heat energy (in the form of steam) applied from the steam purification tank 124 and the steam boiler 270 to raise the temperature of the hydrothermal carbonization reactor 122 to a specific hydrothermal carbonization reactor 122. It is provided in

The ejector 1310 simultaneously injects the gas components separated from the steam purification tank 124 and the heat energy applied from the steam boiler 270 into a specific hydrothermal carbonization reactor 122, regardless of the pressure difference.

As described above, steam boiler 270 has relatively high pressure. Meanwhile, the steam purification tank 124 has a relatively low pressure. Accordingly, when both are applied to the hydrothermal carbonization reactor 122 at the same time, the gas component from the steam purification tank 124 may not be completely applied to the hydrothermal carbonization reactor 122 due to the pressure difference, and rather, the gas component may not be completely applied to the hydrothermal carbonization reactor 122, but rather the steam boiler 270 ) A problem may also occur in which the applied heat energy is discharged into the steam purification tank 124.

To prevent this problem, the ejector 1310 is placed at a point where the path for applying heat energy from the steam boiler 270 and the path for applying gas components from the steam purification tank 124 to the reactor 122 join.

The ejector 1310 receives steam and gas components provided through each path, and allows each component to be applied to the hydrothermal carbonization reactor 122 regardless of the pressure difference. Furthermore, the ejector 1310 allows gas components discharged from the steam purification tank 124 to be applied to the hydrothermal carbonization reactor 122 according to the pressure at which steam is injected from the steam boiler 270. Accordingly, the ejector 1310 not only prevents gas components from being discharged from the hydrothermal carbonization reactor 122 into the steam purification tank 124, but also improves the gas component discharge rate from the steam purification tank 124.

When including the ejector 1310, the operation of the hydrothermal carbonization device 120 in FIG. 11 described above is as follows.

The liquid component separated in the steam purification tank 124 flows into the pressure reduction tank 123, and the gas component flows into the hydrothermal carbonization reactor (122c). At the same time, steam is applied from the steam boiler 270 to increase the temperature of the hydrothermal carbonization reactor (122c).

Since the ejector 1310 is located at the confluence of the supply path of the steam boiler 270 and the gas component supply path of the steam purification tank 124, the gas components and the steam supplied from the boiler are generated as they are generated regardless of the order. It may be injected into the carbonization reactor (122c). Additionally, gas components can be more quickly supplied to the hydrothermal carbonization reactor (122c) by the ejector 1310.

Figure 14 is a flowchart showing a method of converting organic waste into solid fuel by hydrothermal carbonization according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The organic waste in the organic waste storage tank 110 is transferred to the preheating tank 121 and preheated (S1410).

Organic waste preheated in the preheating tank 121 flows into the first hydrothermal carbonization reactor 122 (S1420).

Some of the gas components generated in the first hydrothermal carbonization reactor 122 are discharged to the steam purification tank 124, and all remaining products are discharged to the pressure reduction tank 123 (S1430).

The preheating tank 121, which receives gas components from the pressure reduction tank 123, preheats the organic waste and flows it into the second hydrothermal carbonization reactor 122 (S1440).

The steam purification tank 124 separates the gas component and the liquid component and supplies the gas component to the second hydrothermal carbonization reactor 122 and the hydrothermal carbonization product other than the gas to the pressure reduction tank 123 (S1450).

The pressure reduction tank 123 separates the gas component and the liquid component, supplies the gas component to the preheating tank 121, and discharges the liquid component into the first storage tank 130 through the heat exchanger 125 for post-processing. (S1460).

The second hydrothermal carbonization reactor 122, which receives gas components from the steam purification tank 124, additionally receives steam from the steam boiler 270 to perform a hydrothermal carbonization reaction and repeats the S1430 process.

The liquid component stored in the first storage tank 130 is supplied to the filter press 140 to separate solid and liquid, and the solid product is discharged to the second storage tank 150 (S1470).

The solid product collected in the second storage tank 150 is supplied to the solid fuel conversion and energy generation unit 160, formed into solid fuel, and then burned to produce heat energy (S1480).

In Figure 14, each process is described as being sequentially executed, but this is merely an illustrative explanation of the technical idea of an embodiment of the present invention. In other words, a person skilled in the art to which an embodiment of the present invention pertains can change the order of the processes described in each drawing and execute one or more of the processes without departing from the essential characteristics of an embodiment of the present invention. Since various modifications and variations can be applied by executing the process in parallel, FIG. 14 is not limited to a time series order.

Meanwhile, the processes shown in FIG. 14 can be implemented as computer-readable codes on a computer-readable recording medium. Computer-readable recording media include all types of recording devices that store data that can be read by a computer system. In other words, computer-readable recording media include magnetic storage media (e.g. ROM, floppy disk, hard disk, etc.), optical read media (e.g. CD-ROM, DVD, etc.), and carrier waves (e.g. Internet It includes storage media such as transmission through . Additionally, computer-readable recording media can be distributed across networked computer systems so that computer-readable code can be stored and executed in a distributed manner.

The above description is merely an illustrative explanation of the technical idea of this embodiment, and those skilled in the art will be able to make various modifications and variations without departing from the essential characteristics of this embodiment. Accordingly, the present embodiments are not intended to limit the technical idea of the present embodiment, but rather to explain it, and the scope of the technical idea of the present embodiment is not limited by these examples. The scope of protection of this embodiment should be interpreted in accordance with the claims below, and all technical ideas within the equivalent scope should be interpreted as being included in the scope of rights of this embodiment.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This patent application claims priority in accordance with Article 119(a) of the U.S. Patent Act (35 U.S.C. § 119(a)) to Patent Application No. 10-2022-0101225 filed in Korea on August 12, 2022. All contents are hereby incorporated by reference into this patent application. In addition, if this patent application claims priority for a country other than the United States for the same reasons as above, the entire contents thereof will be incorporated into this patent application by reference.

Claims (15)

In a treatment device that decomposes organic waste by hydrothermal carbonization and increases energy density, A hydrothermal carbonization device that receives and carbonizes organic waste; and A dehydrator that mechanically dehydrates the hydrothermally carbonized organic waste. An organic waste treatment device using hydrothermal carbonization, comprising: According to paragraph 1, An organic waste treatment device using hydrothermal carbonization, characterized in that the dehydrator for mechanically dehydrating the hydrothermal carbonized organic waste is a filter press. According to paragraph 1, The hydrothermal carbonization device, A preheating tank that receives and preheats organic waste; A plurality of hydrothermal carbonization reactors that receive the organic waste preheated from the preheating tank and hydrothermally carbonize it within a preset environment; In each hydrothermal carbonization reactor, all the remaining products except for some of the gas components among the hydrothermal carbonization reactors are introduced, the gas components and the non-gas hydrothermal carbonization products are separated, the gas components are discharged to the preheating tank, and the hydrothermal carbonization products other than the gas are discharged to the outside. pressure relief tank; A steam purification tank that receives a part of the gas component of the hydrothermal carbonization product from one hydrothermal carbonization reactor, separates the gas component and the liquid component, and discharges the gas component to another hydrothermal carbonization reactor and the liquid component to the pressure reduction tank; and A control unit that controls the operation of each component of the hydrothermal carbonization device Organic waste treatment device using hydrothermal carbonization, comprising: According to paragraph 3, It further includes a heat exchanger for lowering the temperature of the hydrothermal carbonization product discharged from the hydrothermal carbonization device, The heat exchanger is an organic waste treatment device using hydrothermal carbonization, characterized in that it receives the hydrothermal carbonization product from the pressure reduction tank, cools it to a preset temperature, and supplies it to the dehydrator. According to paragraph 3, The hydrothermal carbonization device, An organic waste treatment device using hydrothermal carbonization, characterized in that each hydrothermal carbonization reactor hydrothermally carbonizes organic waste through the same process, but performs different operations with time differences. According to clause 5, The control unit, An organic waste treatment device using hydrothermal carbonization, characterized in that when the pressure due to the gas component in any one hydrothermal carbonization reactor is greater than a preset standard value, a portion of the gas component is controlled to be discharged into the steam purification tank. According to paragraph 3, The preset environment is, An organic waste treatment device using hydrothermal carbonization, characterized in that it has a pressure of 5 to 64 bar and a temperature of 150 to 280 ° C. According to paragraph 3, The hydrothermal carbonization device, Organic waste treatment device using hydrothermal carbonization, characterized in that it further comprises an ejector for injecting steam flowing in from the outside and gas components separated and discharged from the steam purification tank into any one hydrothermal carbonization reactor. According to clause 4, The heat exchanger, An organic waste treatment device using hydrothermal carbonization, characterized in that energy consumption is reduced by combining the heated cooling water generated by cooling the hydrothermal carbonization product with the feed water of the boiler that supplies steam to the hydrothermal carbonization device. Organic waste treatment device using hydrothermal carbonization according to paragraph 1; and A solid fuel conversion and energy generation unit that crushes and molds the solid product discharged from the processing device to produce solid fuel and produces heat energy therefrom. A solid fuel conversion and energy production system containing organic waste. According to clause 10, The solid fuel conversion and energy generation unit, A crushing/forming machine that receives the solid product and produces solid fuel of a preset size and shape; A combustion device that produces heat energy using the solid fuel; and A steam boiler that generates steam by receiving the heat energy produced above. A solid fuel conversion and energy production system containing organic waste. According to clause 11, The solid fuel conversion and energy generation unit, A system for converting organic waste into solid fuel and producing energy, further comprising a dryer for drying the solid fuel produced in the preset size and shape. According to clause 11, The steam generated in the steam boiler is supplied to the hydrothermal carbonization device and used as heat energy for the hydrothermal carbonization reaction. In the method of converting organic waste into solid fuel and producing energy by hydrothermal carbonization, A preheating step of receiving organic waste from a preheating tank and preheating it; A hydrothermal carbonization step of receiving the organic waste preheated in the preheating step using a first hydrothermal carbonization reactor and hydrothermally carbonizing it within a preset environment; Using a pressure reduction tank, all the products remaining carbonized in the hydrothermal carbonization step except for some of the gas components are introduced and the pressure is reduced to separate the gas components and the remaining products other than the gas, and the gas components are sent to the preheating tank and the remaining products are lowered in temperature. A discharge step of discharging to a heat exchanger; A purification step of receiving a part of the gas component of the product carbonized in the hydrothermal carbonization step using a steam purification tank, separating the gas component and the liquid component, and discharging the gas component to the second hydrothermal carbonization reactor and the liquid component to the pressure reduction tank. ; A collection step of cooling the hydrothermal carbonization product discharged from the pressure reduction tank in the heat exchanger and then collecting it in a first storage tank; A dehydration step of receiving the hydrothermal carbonization product collected in the first storage tank in a dehydrator, dehydrating it, and discharging the solid product; and It includes a fuel conversion and energy production step of forming the dehydrated solid product into solid fuel of a preset size and shape and producing heat energy therefrom, The hydrothermal carbonization reactor includes a plurality of reactors, and each hydrothermal carbonization reactor carbonizes organic waste by going through the same process, but performs different operations at different times. A method of converting organic waste into solid fuel and producing energy. . According to clause 14, A method of converting organic waste into solid fuel and producing energy, characterized in that the dehydrator in the dehydration step is a filter press.

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