Device and method for obtaining energy carriers from moist biomass

• US 8,191,282 B2
• Filed: 06/04/2009
• Issued: 06/05/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Claas Selbstfahrende Erntemaschinen GmbH (CLAAS KGaA mbH)
• Original Assignee: Claas Selbstfahrende Erntemaschinen GmbH (CLAAS KGaA mbH)
• Inventors: Weigelt, Horst
• Primary Examiner(s): Halpern, Mark
• Application Number:
  US12/478,226
• Publication Number:
  US 20090313847A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,097 Days
• Field of Search: 342/74, 345/27, 342/82, 56/101, 422/187, 241/101.742
• US Class Current: 34/274
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 43/00 Mowers combined with apparatus performing additional operations while mowing A01D37/00, A01D39/00, A01D41/00, take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 5/445 Agricultural waste, e.g. corn crops, grass clippings, nut shells or oil pressing residues
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 9/08 by heat treatments, e.g. calcining
• CPC Class Codes: F26B 1/00 Preliminary treatment of solid materials or objects to facilitate drying , e.g. mixing or backmixing the materials to be dried with predominantly dry solids F26B5/005 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F26B 11/14 the stirring device moving in a horizontal or slightly-inclined plane
• CPC Class Codes: F26B 2200/02 Biomass, e.g. waste vegetative matter, straw
• CPC Class Codes: F26B 23/00 Heating arrangements by radiation, e.g. infrared, ultraviolet, solar F26B3/28 and F26B3/30; using heated air or gases F26B21/00
• CPC Class Codes: F26B 5/14 by applying pressure, e.g. wringing; by brushing; by wiping
• CPC Class Codes: F26B 7/00 Drying solid materials or objects by processes using a combination of processes not covered by a single one of groups F26B3/00 and F26B5/00 F26B1/005, F26B5/04, F26B23/026 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 50/10 Biofuels, e.g. bio-diesel
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 50/30 Fuel from waste, e.g. synthetic alcohol or diesel

Abstract

A device for obtaining energy carriers from moist biomass includes a dehydration device for mechanically pre-dehydrating the biomass, and a drying step for post-dehydrating the pre-dehydrated biomass via the addition of heat. The dehydration device includes a first dehydration step and a second dehydration step, which is combined with the drying step to form a single assembly.

Claims

1. A device for obtaining energy carriers from a moist biomass, comprising:

a dehydration device including a first dehydration station and a second dehydration station, and a drying station, wherein said first dehydration station and said second dehydration station include means for mechanically pre-dehydrating the biomass, and wherein said drying station includes means for post-dehydrating the pre-dehydrated biomass via an addition of heat, wherein said second dehydration station is combined with said drying station to form a single assembly, and wherein said first dehydration station, said second dehydration station, and said drying station form a single, unitary module,

wherein said first dehydration station includes means for producing a pressed liquid from said biomass before said biomass enters said drying station, and wherein said second dehydration station includes means for separating off a product oil from said biomass after said drying station.

2. The device as defined in claim 1, wherein said drying station includes a mixing container which is loadable simultaneously with the pre-dehydrated biomass and a thermal transfer material.

3. The device as defined in claim 2, further comprising a separation station for removing the thermal transfer material from the post-dehydrated biomass.

4. The device as defined in claim 3, wherein said separation station is a part of the assembly.

5. The device as defined in claim 3, further comprising a heat source arranged so that the thermal transfer material is circulated through said heat source, said drying station, and said separation station.

6. The device as defined in claim 2, wherein said thermal transfer material is a combustible thermal transfer material.

7. The device as defined in claim 1, further comprising a fragmentation station for fragmentizing the biomass after it passes through said first dehydration station, said fragmentation station being provided between said first dehydration station and said second dehydration station.

8. The device as defined in claim 1, wherein said first dehydration station includes at least one pair of compression rollers which form a compression gap through which the biomass passes.

9. The device as defined in claim 1, wherein said second dehydration station includes an element selecting from a group consisting of a decanter and a screw extruder.

10. The device as defined in claim 1, further comprising a heating device for heating the biomass that passes through said second dehydration station.

11. The device as defined in claim 1, further comprising a reactor for the thermochemical treatment of the biomass that was dried in the drying station.

12. The device as defined in claim 11, wherein said drying station is heatable using a heat dissipated from the reactor.

13. The device as defined in claim 12, wherein said reactor is configured so that the dissipated heat in a form of a reaction product is supplied from said reactor as a thermal transfer material.

14. The device as defined in claim 11, further comprising means for supplying hydrogen gas into said reactor.

15. The device as defined in claim 14, further comprising an electrolysis cell for obtaining hydrogen from water that was extracted from the biomass.

16. The device as defined in claim 11, further comprising a condensation station for condensing vaporous products of said reactor and removing an aqueous condensate, and a filter through which the aqueous condensate flows, and to which coke from said reactor is addable as a filter material.

17. The device as defined in claim 11, further comprising a burner for heating said reactor, said burner being supplied with gaseous reaction product from said reactor.

18. The device as defined in claim 1, further comprising a concentration station including means for capturing a fluid that was removed in at least one of said dehydration stations, for separating the fluid into a portion that is enriched with dissolved substances, and into a portion from which dissolved substances have been removed.

19. The device as defined in claim 1, wherein the device is configured as a self-propelled harvesting machine.

20. The device as defined in claim 1, further comprising a collection tank for fluid that was removed in said dehydration device.