SCALABLE BIODIGESTER PLANT FOR GENERATING BIOGAS FROM LIVESTOCK LIQUID MANURE

Abstract

A scalable biodigester plant for generating biogas from livestock liquid manure is provided having a concentration tank with a stirrer associated with a pretreatment tank and treatment tanks, a liquid manure pipe, with a heating pipe communicating the tanks with a heater/generator, a biogas pipe communicating the tanks with the heater/generator, and a discharge pipe communicating the tanks with the solid/liquid separator, the tanks being movable and consisting of 20′ or 40′ maritime transport containers open in the upper part, and an expandable rubber dome that seals the upper part allowing only the passage of the biogas pipe, the containers being covered internally with a thermally insulating layer that is, in turn, covered with a reinforcement layer.

Claims

1. A scalable biodigester plant for generating biogas from livestock liquid manure, comprising a concentration tank with a stirrer, to which the liquid manure arrives from the pit of the farm, associated, by means of liquid manure pipe, with a pretreatment tank and one or more treatment tanks, there being a heating pipe communicating said tanks with a heater/generator circulating hot water through same to provide the required temperature, a biogas pipe communicating the tanks with the heater/generator for being utilized during the operation thereof, and a discharge pipe communicating the tanks with a solid/liquid separator where the biodigested product is accumulated, wherein the pretreatment tank and one or more treatment tanks are movable structures and consist of standard sized 20′ or 40′ maritime transport containers.

2. The scalable biodigester plant for generating biogas from livestock liquid manure according to claim 1, wherein the pretreatment tank and one or more treatment tanks are maritime containers open in the upper part and incorporating an expandable rubber dome that seals said upper part allowing only the passage of the biogas pipe.

3. The scalable biodigester plant for generating biogas from livestock liquid manure according to claim 2, wherein the dome of the pretreatment tank and one or more treatment tanks is supported on a structure of rods.

4. The scalable biodigester plant for generating biogas from livestock liquid manure according to claim 1, wherein each container making up the pretreatment tank and one or more treatment tanks is internally lined with a thermally insulating layer that is, in turn, covered with a reinforcement layer.

5. The scalable biodigester plant for generating biogas from livestock liquid manure according to claim 4, wherein the layer of thermal insulation of the pretreatment tank and one or more treatment tanks is made of 30 mm high-density polyurethane.

6. The scalable biodigester plant for generating biogas from livestock liquid manure according to claim 4, wherein the reinforcement layer is made of polyester and glass fiber.

7. The scalable biodigester plant for generating biogas from livestock liquid manure according to claim 1, wherein each tank of the pretreatment tank and one or more treatment features an inlet of the liquid manure pipe on one side of the upper part thereof and an outlet at the opposite upper part.

8. The scalable biodigester plant for generating biogas from livestock liquid manure according to claim 7, wherein the liquid manure pipe connects the pretreatment tank and one or more treatment tanks by incorporating opening and closing valves interposed such that the liquid manure can be loaded in series or in parallel, and tanks can be filled independently or discontinuously, depending on the liquid manure generated and the recommendable hold time.

9. The scalable biodigester plant for generating biogas from livestock liquid manure according to claim 1, wherein each tank of the pretreatment tank and one or more treatment features the heating pipe in its lower region, the discharge pipe in its lower part and the biogas outlet pipe placed in the upper part of the tank.

10. The scalable biodigester plant for generating biogas from livestock liquid manure according to claim 1, wherein each liquid manure pipe, heating pipe, discharge pipe, and biogas pipe, has an opening and closing valve which allows the independent use of each tank of the pretreatment tank and one or more treatment, as appropriate.

11. The scalable biodigester plant for generating biogas from livestock liquid manure according to claim 1, wherein each tank of the pretreatment tank and one or more treatment incorporates a pump or similar device forcing the liquid manure to circulate through the liquid manure pipe, with an activation programmer so it can operate periodically for a few minutes.

12. The scalable biodigester plant for generating biogas from livestock liquid manure according to claim 1, wherein each tank incorporates inlets and outlets for a probe for measuring the temperature or other variables.

13. The scalable biodigester plant for generating biogas from livestock liquid manure according to claim 1, wherein the heater/generator is incorporated in a movable structure which is also made up of a standard maritime transport container.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0027] To complement the description that is being made and for the purpose of aiding to better understand the features of the invention, sheets of drawings are attached to the present specification as an integral part thereof, in which the following is depicted in an illustrative and non-limiting manner:

[0028] FIG. 1 shows a schematic plan view of an embodiment of the scalable biodigester plant, object of the invention, where its general configuration and the main parts comprised therein can be seen.

[0029] FIG. 2 shows a schematic section view of an example of the tanks comprised in the plant according to the invention, where the parts and elements comprised therein can be seen.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

[0030] In view of the mentioned figures and according to the numbering used, a non-limiting example of the proposed scalable biodigester plant for generating biogas from livestock liquid manure can be seen therein, which plant comprises the parts and elements indicated and described in detail below.

[0031] Thus, as can be observed in said figures, the plant (1) in question comprises, in an essential and known manner, a concentration tank (2) with a stirrer (3), to which the liquid manure arrives from the pit of the farm (not shown), which is associated, by means of liquid manure pipe (4), with a pretreatment tank (5) which is associated, in turn, with one or more treatment tanks (6) connected through said liquid manure pipe (4) for the filling thereof.

[0032] Furthermore, the plant comprises a heating pipe (7) communicating said tanks (5, 6) with a heater/generator (8) circulating hot water through same to provide the required temperature, a biogas pipe (9) communicating the tanks (5, 6) with the heater/generator (8) for being utilized during the operation thereof, and a discharge pipe (10) communicating the tanks (5, 6) with a solid/liquid separator (11) where the biodigested product is accumulated, separating the solid product (ps) or solid liquid manure (biolsol) and the liquid product (pl) liquid manure (biol) before packaging (e).

[0033] The plant (1) differs from this already known configuration in that the tanks (5, 6) are movable structures and consist of standard sized 20′ or 40′ maritime transport containers, preferably of the open top type, open in the upper part, which incorporate an expandable rubber dome (12), preferably made of EPDM that seals said upper part, allowing only the passage of the biogas pipe (9).

[0034] Furthermore, in the preferred embodiment each container making up the tanks (5, 6) is internally lined with a thermally insulating layer (13), preferably made of 30 mm high-density polyurethane that is, in turn, covered with a reinforcement layer (14) made of polyester and glass fiber.

[0035] As observed in FIG. 2, each tank (5, 6) features an inlet (41) of the liquid manure pipe (4) on one side of the upper part thereof and an outlet (42) at the opposite upper part, being connected such that by means of opening and closing valves (16) interposed in said liquid manure pipe (4), the liquid manure can be loaded in series so that the tanks can be successively filled continuously (filling and overflow of the tank to fill the following tank) or in parallel so that tanks can be filled independently or discontinuously (simultaneously filling two or more containers) depending on the liquid manure generated and the recommendable hold time.

[0036] Furthermore, each of said tanks (5, 6) also features the heating pipe (7) in its lower region, the discharge pipe (10) in its lower part and the biogas outlet pipe (9) placed in the upper part of the tank, in the rubber dome (12), which is supported on a structure of rods (15) to maintain a convex curved configuration which prevents the accumulation of rain and/or dust thereon.

[0037] Preferably, each liquid manure pipe (4), heating pipe (7), discharge pipe (10), and biogas pipe (9) has in each tank (5, 6) an opening and closing valve (16) which allows the independent use of each tank (5, 6), as appropriate. And likewise, each tank (5, 6) incorporates a pump (17) or another similar device for forcing the liquid manure to circulate through the liquid manure pipe (4), with an activation programmer so it can operate periodically for a few minutes.

[0038] Furthermore, each tank also incorporates inlets and outlets for a probe (18) for measuring the temperature or other variables.

[0039] Finally, it should be pointed out that the heater/generator (8) comprising a biogas co-generator (81) and a boiler (82) is incorporated in a movable structure (19) which is also a standard maritime transport container. Optionally, the heating pipe (7) coming from said boiler (82) includes a parallel feeder across all the tanks (5, 6) to reduce how far the hot water travels. Furthermore, the incorporation of a sulfuric acid filter (20) in the biogas pipe (9) placed before the inlet thereof into said heater/generator (8) has been envisaged.

[0040] Having sufficiently described the nature of the present invention as well as the manner of putting it into practice, it is not considered necessary to extend the description to explain it so that one skilled in the art may comprehend its scope and the advantages derived from it, and it is hereby stated that it may be carried out to practice in other embodiments which differ in detail from the indicated example provided that the essential nature thereof is not modified.