Patent Publication Number: US-10767148-B2

Title: Organic matter digesting apparatus

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/331,500 which was filed Oct. 21, 2016, which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/245,777 which was filed on Oct. 23, 2015, the entirety of which is incorporated by reference herein. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present disclosure relates generally to a biodigester of organic matter such as sewage, plant material, animal material, and/or other degradable materials. More specifically, the present disclosure provides biodigester assemblies and methods for processing organic matter and separating the processed organic matter. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Efficient use of resources has always been an important concept. However, this ideal becomes even more important in light of what society now understands about the dangers of not being conscientious about the environment. This contradicts humanity&#39;s reliance on exploiting natural resources. However, there are potential resources that man has not exploited fully as of yet, and some of those opportunities can actually benefit the environment. It is the goal of the present disclosure to provide clean water, usable methane gas, and solid carbon material while disposing of organic matter in an environmentally conscientious manner. 
    
    
     
       DRAWINGS 
       Embodiments of the disclosure are described below with reference to the following accompanying drawings. 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a biodigester apparatus according to an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 2  is a cross sectional view of a biodigester apparatus according to an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the front of a biodigester apparatus according to an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 4  is a cross sectional view of a digestion chamber of the biodigester apparatus according to an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 5  is a cross sectional view of a digestion chamber of the biodigester apparatus according to an embodiment of the disclosure. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION 
     This disclosure is submitted in furtherance of the constitutional purposes of the U.S. Patent Laws “to promote the progress of science and useful arts” (Article 1, Section 8). 
     Apparatuses and methods for digesting organic matter are disclosed with reference to  FIGS. 1-5 . In accordance with example embodiments, materials can be processed with the assemblies and/or methods provided and the processed material products separated. For example, water and/or methane can be products of processed organic matter and these products can be separated from processed organic matter, leaving a solid matter. Example implementations can include removing the water and/or providing same to external water filters and storage. The methane gas can be removed and/or externally processed further and either stored or used; and the remaining solid matter can be removed and/or sent to external cookers. 
     Referring first to  FIG. 1 , a biodigester apparatus  10  is shown. The biodigester combines a digestion tank  12  in fluid communication with a gas collection tower  20 . Collection tower  20  can be vertically aligned, such as aligned normal to the ground or floor surface. Digestion tank  12  can extend from the bottom of collection tower  20  at an angle other than normal such as an obtuse angle. A float gauge  22  can be provided in tank  12  and extend vertically up from the lower portion of the digestion tank. Gauge  22  may have indicator  32 . 
     An air slurry separator  14  can be configured to provide feed material into an input conduit  24 . As indicated above, the feed material can be sewage, plant material, animal material, and/or degradable materials. Input conduit  24  can be coupled to digestion tank  12 . Separator  14  and conduit  24  can be configured to provide feed material to assembly  10  without allowing products to escape assembly  10  through input conduit  24 . 
     Within digestion tank  12  can be provided a manifold of a plurality of conduits  18 . These conduits can be configured as multiple pairs as shown and may be configured to receive liquid, such as water product, via intake apertures  30 . Conduits  18  can extend to the exterior of tank  12  and then merge into a single liquid output conduit  16 . 
     Gas collection tower  20  can be configured to collect gases that may be generated during processing in digestion tank  12 . These gases can be removed from assembly  10  via a gas output conduit  28 . As is shown, the fluid communication between tank  12  and tower  20  can be substantially the entire diameter of the tank and/or tower to facilitate the least restrictive generation and transport of gas products. It may be desirable for this fluid connection to be large to restrict the flow of gas products into conduit  24 . 
     Referring next to  FIG. 2 , a cross sectional side view of assembly  10  is shown. As shown, feed material can be input into assembly  10  via an inlet  26  extending into slurry separator  14 . Slurry separator  14  includes a float plug assembly  36  that obstructs the entrance of raw organic matter to input conduit  24 . At the juncture of the input conduit  24  and the digestion tank  12  is a biased flap gate  38  which serves to maintain a pressure balance, only allowing materials to enter digestion tank  12  when the flap gate  38  opens to form an aperture between input conduit  24  and the digestion tank  12 . When the flap gate  38  closes shut after allowing matter to pass into the digestion tank  12 , the pressure displacement causes the float plug  36  inside the slurry separator to rise and allow more material into the input conduit  24 , where it sits until the pressure causes the flap gate  38  to open again. 
     Once feed material enters into digestion tank  12 , the pressure and temperature within the tank facilitates biodegradation of the matter. This biodegradation can be facilitated bacterially, enzymatically, and/or catalytically, however natural biodegradation is preferred. Gas degradation products rise into gas collection tower  20  and exit out of gas output conduit  28  and on to external gas processing apparatuses not described in this disclosure. From there, the gas is processed and/or stored for immediate utilization. 
     Water and water vapor biodegradation products can be pulled into the liquid intake apertures  30   a ,  30   b , and  30   c  respectively, into contributory water conduits  18 , and further to the liquid output conduit  16 . This water biodegradation product can be sent to external filtration systems not described in this disclosure, and filtered water can be stored or immediately utilized. Solid biodegraded material can travel via gravity into an auger  34 , and the material is further broken down in the auger and fed out to external cookers not described in this disclosure where the solid matter can be made into clean, useful charcoal, for example. 
     With particular emphasis on this view, within the digestion tank  12 , as feed material is input into the tank, the matter may fill the tank to above the level of intake aperture  30   a  and reach a near capacity level  31 . When the matter makes contact with float sensor  33 , the float gauge indicator  32  on the float gauge  22  will display a signal such as an LED light to indicate that the tank is near a full capacity level  39 , and the operator may slow or cease input until enough matter has been digested through the tank  12  through the auger  34 . As is shown in this view, the angle of relation of tank  12  and tower  20  facilitates the gravitational migration of feed material through processing and into auger  34 . 
     Referring next to  FIG. 3 , a front view of the biodigester apparatus  10  is shown. Auger  34  is shown with a manual crank  44 . An operator may also use an automatic crank to initiate the auger. To maintain constant pressure within the tank  12 , the output of the auger  34  is a sphincter  42  made from a biased flexible substance such as rubber or other polymer with rubber-like characteristics. 
     Referring next to  FIG. 4 , a cross sectional view of inside digestion tank  12  is shown according to one embodiment. In this embodiment, the liquid intake apertures  30  are shown leading to the contributory water conduits  18  respectively. The conduits  18  converge at a juncture  52   a . The intake apertures  30  may be capped by filters  48  to keep solid materials from entering the water conduits  18 . 
     Referring next to  FIG. 5 , another embodiment is shown as a cross sectional view of inside the digestion tank  12 . In this embodiment, the contributory water conduits  18  do not merge directly beneath the tank  12 . Instead, the juncture of the conduits  52   b  is beneath one side of the tank, offset from the conduit closest to the juncture  52   b . This embodiment may be preferred to change the suction pressure of the conduits leading to the output conduit  16 . 
     In compliance with the statute, embodiments of the disclosure have been described in language more or less specific as to structural and methodical features. It is to be understood, however, that the entire disclosure is not limited to the specific features and/or embodiments shown and/or described, since the disclosed embodiments comprise forms of putting the disclosure into effect.