Patent EP-1884563-A1 (EP)
Inventor: ECKARD HORST K
IPC: C12M1/33
Filed: 2007-02-14
Abstract: The device for processing of biomass for a fermenter of a biogas plant for the generation of methane containing biogas from agricultural and forest products or organic waste materials, comprises an inlet (3, 6) for the flowable liquid biomass, a grinder (4) or homogenizer (11) for grinding of the biomass, an outlet (12) arranged downstream of the grinder/homogenizer for the biomass, a reservoir (7, 10) for the biomass, a conveying device for the biomass, a platform, a container wall forming a wall of the reservoir, and a discharging device arranged nearly in the base of the reservoir. The device for processing of biomass for a fermenter of a biogas plant for the generation of methane containing biogas from agricultural and forest products or organic waste materials, comprises an inlet (3, 6) for the flowable liquid biomass, a grinder (4) or homogenizer (11) for grinding of the biomass, an outlet (12) arranged downstream of the grinder/homogenizer for the biomass, a reservoir (7, 10) for the biomass, a conveying device for the biomass, a platform, a container wall forming a wall of the reservoir, a discharging device arranged nearly in the base of the reservoir for the biomass contained in the reservoir, a further inlet for dry biomass, and a mixing device arranged on the platform for mixing the liquid biomass and the dry biomass. The inlet, the outlet, the grinder or the homogenizer, the reservoir and the conveying device are arranged on the platform. The device is transportable as a unit on the way or on rails. The platform builds a container, which is accessible. One of the components consisting of the grinder/homogenizer, the conveying device and the reservoir are arranged in the container. The overall width or the height of the device is 2.5 m or 4 m respectively. The reservoir is fillable with the biomass from top by the inlet of the device. The reservoir contains fluid biomass and solid particles of the biomass. The mixing device is arranged downstream of the grinder, is arranged to the reservoir and is arranged upstream of the reservoir. The outlet of the reservoir is arranged above the outlet of the mixing device, so that the biomass is dropped by the outlet of the reservoir in the inlet of the mixing device. The reservoir forms the mixing device or is a component of the mixing device. The outlet is arranged downstream of the reservoir or to the reservoir. The reservoir forms a reception container for the biomass containing the solid components. The device has a further mixing device arranged on the platform for intermixing the solid components of the reservoir with biomass, which is fed by the inlet or with water, which is fed by a water connector arranged on the platform. The homogenizer is formed for a fine grinding of the biomass in comparison with the grinder. The grinder and the homogenizer are formed for grinding particles contained in the biomass to a maximum extent of 30 mm and 2 mm respectively. The grinder has a crusher, ripper and a cutting unit and the homogenizer has a dispersing unit with first-, second-, third- and fourth shearing rims. The grinder has rotary drivable cutting shaft rotating around the shaft axis and rows of cutting teeth axially spaced from each other. The shafts are externally arranged to each other and gripped with each other, so that the biomass conveyed by a gap between the shafts is grounded by cutting, ripping and/or pressing. A first line conducts from the grinder in the reservoir and the homogenizer is arranged in a second line, which branches from the grinder and upstream from the reservoir by the first line. The first shearing rims are rotatable around an axis of rotation relative to the second shearing rims and are surrounded by one of the second shearing rims. The homogenizer is supplyable in a flow of the biomass by the reservoir and the homogenizer. The fine grounded biomass is optionally supplyable to the outlet or into the reservoir by the homogenizer. An ultrasonic-grinder is arranged on the platform for the biomass containing animal fat, which is supplyable to the outlet over the ultrasonic-grinder via by-pass of the reservoir. The device is arranged on the platform of the water connector for supplying water into the reservoir or homogenizer/a controlling unit. A device is arranged on the platform for the determination of viscosity of the flow of the biomass treated by the device and has a controller, which controls the conveying device/a stop valve/a manifold valve arranged on the platform depending on the determined viscosity. The biomass flow is fluidically mixable by the stop-/the manifold valve. The first and third rims have shearing edges directed crosswise to the peripheral direction of the first rims arranged around the rotational axis. The second and fourth rims have shearing anti-edges directed crosswise to the peripheral direction of the second rims arranged around the rotational axis. The biomass is conveyable in a gap running between the shearing rims around the rotation axis, so that it is grounded in the rotary drive of the first rim by the edges and the anti edges sheared with each other, is conveyable from the gap between the second and the third rims, so that it is grounded in the first rims by the edges and the anti-edges sheared with each other and is conveyable from the gap between the first and the second rims in a further gap between the third and the fourth rims, so that it is grounded in the first and third rims by the edges and anti edges sheared with each other. The first and second rims are axially arranged above the third and the fourth rims. One of the shearing rims is radially permeable between edges or anti edges adjustable in the circumferential direction to convey the biomass in radial direction in the gap. An independent claim is included for a method for the fabrication of device for generating a suspension from biomass.