Self-propelled harvesting vehicle including a thermochemical reactor for carbonizing harvested crop material

• US 8,404,006 B2
• Filed: 12/19/2011
• Issued: 03/26/2013
• 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): Fbin-Kovcs, rpd
• Application Number:
  US13/330,020
• Publication Number:
  US 20120102903A1
• Time in Patent Office: 463 Days
• Field of Search: 446/05, 445/53, 445/47, 445/63, 445/90, 445/89, 445/50, 435/165, 435/134, 435/167, 435/160, 435/166, 435/72, 435/209, 435/289.1, 435/162, 435/243, 127/27, 127/1, 127/37, 100/38, 100/190, 100/305, 100/906, 202/83, 202/117, 202/217, 202/218, 202/222, 422/209, 422/210, 422/198, 56/1, 56/164.B
• US Class Current: 44/589
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 82/00 Crop conditioners, i.e. machines for crushing or bruising stalks combined with harvesters A01D43/10
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 91/04 Products growing above the soil fruit, hops A01D46/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 50/30 Fuel from waste, e.g. synthetic alcohol or diesel

Abstract

A self-propelled harvesting vehicle includes a crop material pick-up device, a fragmentation unit for fragmentizing the crop material, and a mechanical dehydration device which is used to remove an aqueous portion of the crop material, and which is divided into a first dehydration unit that takes place upstream of the fragmentation unit, and a second dehydration unit that takes place downstream of the fragmentation unit; and a method of harvesting is performed by the thusly arranged units.

Claims

1. A self-propelled harvesting vehicle, comprising

a crop material pick-up device;

a fragmentation means for fragmenting the crop material;

a mechanical dehydration device for removing an aqueous portion of the crop material, said mechanical dehydration device including a first dehydration means that is located upstream of said fragmentation means and a second dehydration means that is located downstream of said fragmentation means; and

a heat-treatment means provided downstream of said second dehydration means;

wherein said heat-treatment means includes a thermochemical reactor for carbonizing a dehydrated crop material into reaction products selected from the group consisting of gaseous reaction products, liquid reaction products, solid reaction products, and combinations thereof.

2. The self-propelled harvesting machine as defined in claim 1, wherein said heat-treatment means includes a drying means.

3. The self-propelled harvesting machine as defined in claim 2, wherein said drying means includes a means for adding hot thermal transfer material to the crop material to be dried.

4. The self-propelled harvesting machine as defined in claim 3, wherein said means for adding hot thermal transfer material is configured for adding the thermal transfer material which is a reaction product of the thermochemical reactor.

5. The self-propelled harvesting machine as defined in claim 3, further comprising a separation means for separating the added thermal transfer material from the dried crop material downstream of the drying means.

6. The self-propelled harvesting machine as defined in claim 5, wherein said separating means is located upstream of the reactor.

7. The self-propelled harvesting machine as defined in claim 1, further comprising means for supplying hydrogen gas into the reactor.

8. The self-propelled harvesting machine as defined in claim 7, further comprising an electrolysis means for obtaining hydrogen via electrolysis from the aqueous portion that was separated out in the dehydration device.

9. The self-propelled harvesting machine as defined in claim 1, further comprising a condensation means for condensing vaporous products of the reactor and removing an aqueous condensate;

and a filter through which the aqueous condensate flows, and to which coke from the reactor is added as a filter material.

10. The self-propelled harvesting machine as defined in claim 9, further comprising a burner for heating the reactor and supplied with gaseous reaction product from the reactor.

11. The self-propelled harvesting machine as defined in claim 1, further comprising a concentration means which captures the aqueous portion that was removed in at least one of the dehydration means for separation into a portion that is enriched with dissolved substances, and into a portion from which the dissolved substances have been removed.

12. The self-propelled harvesting vehicle as defined in claim 11, further comprising a collection tank provided for the enriched portion.

13. A method of harvesting a crop material with a self-propelled harvesting vehicle comprising the steps of

picking-up a crop material with a pick-up device;

fragmenting the crop material with a fragmentation means;

removing an aqueous portion of the crop material with a mechanical dehydration device including a first dehydration means located upstream of the fragmentation means and a second dehydration means located downstream of the fragmentation means;

heating the crop material that passes through the second dehydration means by a heating device; and

providing a heat-treatment by a heat-treatment stage located downstream of the second dehydration stage;

wherein the heat-treatment means include a thermochemical reactor for carbonizing a dehydrated crop material into reaction products selected from the group consisting of gases, reaction products, liquid reaction products, solar reaction products, and combinations thereof.

14. A method of harvesting a crop material as defined in claim 13, further comprising delivering dehydrated crop material by the second dehydration means, having a dry-mass portion of at least 60%.

15. A method of harvesting a crop material as defined in claim 13, further comprising dehydrating by the dehydration device the crop material composed substantially of cellulose.

16. A method of harvesting a crop material as defined in claim 13, further comprising including a drying means into the heat-treatment stage.

17. A method of harvesting a crop material as defined in claim 16, further comprising including in the drying means a means for adding hot thermal transfer material to the crop material to be dried.

18. A method of harvesting a crop material as defined in claim 17, further comprising configuring the means for adding the thermal transfer material which is a reaction product of the thermal chemical reactor.

19. A method of harvesting a crop material as defined in claim 17, further comprising separating the added thermal transfer material from the dried crop material downstream of the drying means by a separation means.

20. A method of harvesting a crop material as defined in claim 19, further comprising locating the separating means upstream of the reactor.

21. A method of harvesting a crop material as defined in claim 13, further comprising supplying hydrogen gas into the reactor by a hydrogen gas supplying means.

22. A method of harvesting a crop material as defined in claim 21, further comprising obtaining hydrogen in an electrolysis means via an electrolysis from the aqueous portion that was separated out in the dehydration device.

23. A method of harvesting a crop material as defined in claim 13, further comprising condensing vaporous products of the reactor in a condensation means and removing an aqueous condensate;

and providing a filter through which the aqueous condensate flows and to which coal from the reactor is added as a filter material.

24. A method of harvesting a crop material as defined in claim 23, further comprising heating the reactor by a burner and supplying the burner with gaseous reacting product from the reactor.