Biogas plant fermenter tank, service device for mounting on a biogas plant fermenter tank and method for operating a biogas plant fermenter tank

Abstract

The invention relates to a biogas plant fermenter tank (1) comprising a substantially liquid substrate (6) accommodated in the tank inner chamber (5) and at least one stirring device (8) arranged in the tank inner chamber (5). According to the invention, an injection device (9) having at least one delivery pump (10) which extracts the injection liquid (12), and at least one injection nozzle element (11) which is fluidically connected to the at least one delivery pump (10), is provided. The injection liquid (12) can be injected into the fermenter tank (1) by means of said injection device in such a way that the injection liquid impinges as a liquid jet (13) from above onto the surface of a floating layer (7) of the substrate (6) and wets the latter.

Claims

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36. Biogas plant fermenter tank system comprising: a first fermenter tank having an inner chamber adapted to contain a substantially liquid substrate accommodated within said inner chamber; at least one stirring apparatus arranged in the tank inner chamber; an injection device operatively connected to said fermenter tank, said injection device having at least one delivery pump for extracting said liquid substrate of said first fermenter tank or from a second fermenter tank; said injection device having at least one injection nozzle fluidically connected to the at least one delivery pump for injecting said extracted liquid substrate into said fermenter tank, wherein the liquid is injected as a liquid jet from above onto a surface of a floating layer of said substrate; and wherein said stirring apparatus is arranged in the tank inner chamber so that said liquid substrate below said floating layer can be homogenized and/or mixed without stirring said floating layer into said liquid substrate.

37. The fermenter tank system set forth in claim 36, wherein said stirring apparatus comprises a plurality of stirring devices spaced apart from one another.

38. The fermenter tank system set forth in claim 36, wherein said stirring apparatus is formed by an agitator, wherein said agitator is slidably attached to a vertically oriented agitator guide mast positioned within said fermenter tank so that said agitator is vertically adjustable therein.

39. The fermenter tank system set forth in claim 36, wherein said injection nozzle element projects into the tank inner chamber by means of a front end having an injection nozzle, and a rear, connection-size end of the injection nozzle element is arranged outside the tank inner chamber.

40. The fermenter tank system set forth in claim 39, wherein said injection nozzle element is arranged completely in the tank inner chamber.

41. The fermenter tank system set forth in claim 36, wherein said fermenter tank includes an opening that is overlaid with a roof, wherein a service device is provided which has a service platform arranged adjacent the roof, can be walked on and is formed by a separate component, such as a walkable and/or level platform plate as a service platform, which is attached by means of at least one connecting element, detachably and gas-tightly, to a tank size wall, and which as a roof connection region to which the roof is attached detachably and gas-tightly, and in that service device further comprises the at least one injection device.

42. The fermenter tank system set forth in claim 41, wherein said roof is a foil roof.

43. The fermenter tank system set forth in claim 41, wherein said at least one injection nozzle element is arranged on the service platform on an assembly wall region of the service platform.

44. The fermenter tank system set forth in claim 43, wherein said service platform comprises an assembly wall projecting at an angle from the service platform, said injection nozzle element is arranged on the assembly wall.

45. The fermenter tank system set forth in claim 44, wherein said injection nozzle element is guided with its end having the injection nozzle through the assembly wall into the tank inner chamber and is held on the assembly wall.

46. The fermenter tank system set forth in claim 41, wherein said assembly wall projects upwardly from the service platform from an approximately horizontal assembly wall attachment region of said service platform, as viewed in the direction of a vertical axis of the tank, and wherein said assembly wall with its upper edge region lying above the injection nozzle element in the direction of the vertical axis of the tank forms at least a partial region of the roof connection region at least a partial region of a film roof connection region.

47. The fermenter tank system set forth in claim 46, wherein the service platform, formed by a walkable and/or level platform plate, is designed in the manner of an isosceles trapezium, wherein a first base size adjoins the tank size wall, a second base side is opposite the first base size, and obliquely running leg sides connect the two base sides and said assembly wall extends over the second base side where the assembly wall slopes obliquely downwardly from the second base side towards the first base side.

48. The fermenter tank system set forth in claim 47, wherein the injection nozzle element if held and passed through the assembly wall in the region of the second base side.

49. The fermenter tank system set forth in claim 48, wherein said at least one injection nozzle element is arranged on a tank size wall, as an assembly wall.

50. The fermenter tank system set forth claim 49, wherein the end of the injection nozzle element having the injection nozzle is coupled to an adjusting device which can be actuated from outside the fermenter tank and by means of which the position of the injection nozzle in the tank inner chamber can be adjusted or changed.

51. The fermenter tank system set forth in claim 50, wherein said injection nozzle is attached to the injection nozzle element by means of an elastic, tubular intermediate piece and is connected to guide rod of the adjusting device, wherein the guide rod is fixedly attached on an upper side of the injection nozzle with respect to the direction of the vertical axis, the guide rod being guided with play or movement and in a gas-tight manner through an assembly wall region to the outside of the fermenter tank, and wherein the guide rod is mounted in a slotted guide which allows the guide rod to be displaced in the direction of the vertical axis and/or transversely to the direction of the vertical axis and/or in the longitudinal direction of the guide rod.

52. A fermenter tank set forth in claim 39, wherein a pressure line leading away from the delivery pump is connected to the connection-side end of the injection nozzle element located outside or inside the fermenter tank

53. A fermenter tank set forth in claim 52, wherein an intake side of the delivery pump draws in the substantially liquid substrate accommodated in the fermenter tank.

54. A fermenter tank set forth in claim 53, wherein the pressure line is led from the connection-side end of the injection nozzle element located outside the fermenter tank through a pressure line feedthrough of the service platform to an internal delivery pump arranged in the tank inner chamber.

55. A fermenter tank set forth in claim 54, wherein said pressure line is formed by a rigid pressure pipe guided into the fermenter tank, wherein the pressure pipe is supported and/or mounted in the region of the pressure line feedthrough and/or in the tank inner chamber on the tank bottom side, and wherein the internal delivery pump is connected to and/or held on the rigid pressure pipe.

56. A fermenter tank set forth in claim 54, wherein the pressure line, at least a partial region of the pressure line lying in the tank inner chamber, is a pressure line which is variable in shape and/or length, such as a flexible or telescopic pressure line, and wherein the internal delivery pump is guided height-adjustably along a delivery pump guide mast arranged in the fermenter tank and oriented in the direction of the vertical axis of the tank.

57. A fermenter tank set forth in claim 54, wherein said service platform, directly adjacently to the pressure line feedthrough in the service platform, has a delivery pump service opening which can be closed by means of a covering device, gas-tightly, for entry and/or access to the internal delivery pump.

58. A fermenter tank set forth in claim 52, wherein said pressure line, starting from the connection-side end of the injection nozzle element, is led to an external delivery pump arranged outside the fermenter tank, the intake side of which has at least one intake line which is led to an intake port in the tank side wall, or through the tank side wall, into the interior of the fermenter tank.

59. A fermenter tank set forth in claim 58, wherein in the tank side all, as seen in the direction of the vertical axis of the fermenter tank, a plurality of intake ports arranged at different heights, in the direction of the vertical axis, are arranged substantially in a row of intake ports lying one above the other and spaced apart from one another, which can be connected to an intake line of the external delivery pump or are connected in valve-controlled fashion.

60. A fermenter tank set forth in claim 41, wherein said service platform has an agitator service opening which can be closed by means of a covering device, gas-tightly, through which opening a stirring device guided height-adjustably on an agitator guide mast is accessible for maintenance and service works and/or can be moved, gas-tightly, out of the fermenter tank and back into the fermenter tank.

61. A fermenter tank set forth in claim 57, wherein the covering device closing the service opening gas-tightly is formed by at least one cover and/or by a mast housing which projects upwardly away from the service opening and forms a receiving space for an upper part of the guide mast.

62. A fermenter tank set forth in claim 57, wherein a sealing element is arranged around the service opening, the sealing element, in the sealing position, projects downwardly in the form of a shaft into the tank inner chamber and, at least during maintenance and service works, dips into the liquid substrate which is accommodated in the fermenter tank and is to be fermented, and gas-tightly separates the gas phase region, which is annularly enclosed by the sealing element, below the openable service opening, as well as above the substrate from the remaining gas phase region of the tank inner chamber, wherein the sealing element is formed by a rigid, non-displaceable and inflexible collar in the form of a pipe socket which permanently projects from the service opening in the direction of the tank inner chamber.

63. Service device for mounting on a tank wall of a biogas plant fermenter tank comprising: a walkable service platform which can be arranged in the region of a foil roof of a fermenter tank, can be fixed by means of at least one connecting element to a tank side wall of the fermenter tank, and has a roof connection region to which the roof can be attached; said service platform, formed by a walkable and/or level platform plate, having an agitator service opening, which can be closed by means of a covering device and through which an agitator guide mast, wherein said service platform forms part of the service device and/or is preferably guided height-adjustably on an agitator guide mast, is accessible as a stirring device for maintenance and service works and/or can be moved out of the fermenter tank and back into the fermenter tank wherein at least one injection nozzle element of an injection device is arranged and/or held on an assembly wall region of the service platform; the injection device further comprising at least one delivery pump, which also forms part of the service device and by means of which injection liquid can be extracted, from the substrate of the fermenter tank or from another fermenter tank of the biogas plant, and can be delivered to the at least one injection nozzle element.

64. The service device set forth in claim 63, wherein said at least one injection nozzle element in the assembled state projects by means of a front end having an injection nozzle, gas-tightly, into the tank inner chamber and the injection liquid can be injected into the fermenter tank, while a rear, connection-size end of the injection nozzle element is arranged outside the tank inner chamber, or in that the at least one injection nozzle element in the assembled state is arranged completely in the tank inner chamber.

65. The service device set forth in claim 63, wherein the service platform has an assembly wall projecting at an angle from the service platform, the injection nozzle element is arranged on the assembly wall and/or the injection nozzle element is guided by means of its end having the injection nozzle through the assembly wall into the tank inner chamber and is held on the assembly wall.

66. The service device set forth in claim 60, wherein the assembly wall projects upwardly from the service platform from an approximately horizontal assembly wall attachment region of the service platform, as viewed in the direction of the vertical axis, and wherein the assembly wall, by means of its upper edge region lying above the injection nozzle element in the direction of the vertical axis, forms at least a partial region of a film roof connection region.

67. The service device set forth in claim 65, wherein the service platform, formed by a walkable and/or level platform plate, is designed in the manner of an isosceles trapezium, wherein a first base side adjoins the tank side wall and wherein a second base side is opposite the first base side, wherein obliquely running leg sides connect the two base sides and wherein the assembly wall extends over the second base side and at least in some regions over the two leg sides, wherein the assembly wall slopes from the second base side towards the first base side, in particular slopes obliquely downwardly.

68. The service device set forth in claim 66, wherein the injection nozzle element is held on and passed through the assembly wall in the region of the second base side.

69. The service device set forth in claim 63, wherein a pressure line leading away from the delivery pump can be connected to the connection-side end of the injection nozzle element.

70. The service device set forth in claim 69, wherein the pressure line is led from the connection-side end of the injection nozzle element, which end is located outside the fermenter tank, through a pressure line feedthrough of the service platform to an internal delivery pump arranged in the tank inner chamber or wherein the pressure line is led from the connection-side end of the injection nozzle element, which end is located inside the fermenter tank, to an internal delivery pump arranged in the tank inner chamber, or wherein the pressure line, starting from the connection-side end of the injection nozzle element located outside the fermenter tank, is led to a delivery pump arranged inside or outside the fermenter tank, the intake side of which has at least one intake line which can be led to an intake port in the tank size wall or through the tank side wall, into the interior of the fermenter tank.

71. The service device set forth in claim 70, wherein the service platform, directly adjacently to the pressure line feedthrough in the service platform, has a delivery pump service opening, which can be closed gas-tightly by means of a covering device, in particular entry and/or access to the internal delivery pump.

72. The service device set forth in claim 63, wherein the covering device closing the agitator service opening and/or the delivery pump service opening, gas-tightly is formed by at least one cover and/or by a mast housing which projects upwardly away from the service opening in the direction of the vertical axis and forms a receiving space for an upper part of the guide mast.

73. The service device set forth in claim 63, wherein a sealing element if arranged around the service opening, wherein said sealing element, in the sealing position, projects downwardly in the form of a shaft and/or projects into the tank inner chamber in the installed state of the service device and is designed in such that, in the installed state of the service device, the sealing element can dip into the liquid substrate, which is accommodated in the fermenter tank and will be fermented, and gas-tightly separates the gas-phase region, which is annularly enclosed by the sealing element below the openable service opening and above the substrate, from the remaining gas-phase region of the tank inner chamber.

74. A method for operating a biogas fermenter tank set forth in claim 36 comprising: a substantially liquid substrate accommodated in the tank inner chamber; at least one stirring device arranged in the tank inner chamber; and an injection device, which has at least one delivery pump which extracts injection liquid from substrate of fermenter tank or from another fermenter tank of the biogas plant, and delivers it to at least one injection nozzle element of the injection device, by means of which injection nozzle element the injection liquid drawn in by means of the at least one delivery pump is injected into the fermenter tank in such that, relative to the direction of the vertical axis of the tank, it impinges as a liquid jet from above onto the surface of a floating layer of the substrate and wets the latter, the substrate in the region below the floating layer being substantially completely homogenized and/or mixed by means of said at least one stirring device, by means of a plurality of stirring devices spaced apart from one another, without stirring the floating layer into the substrate.

Description

[0047] The invention will be explained in greater detail below by way of example by means of drawings, in which:

[0048] FIG. 1 shows a basic schematic sketch of a possible design of a biogas plant fermenter tank in order to illustrate the basic principle according to the invention;

[0049] FIG. 2 schematically shows a further basic sketch as a plan view of a fermenter tank with stirring devices and injection nozzle elements arranged therein merely by way of example;

[0050] FIG. 3 schematically shows a perspective partial view of a biogas plant fermenter tank with a service platform of a service device with an embodiment in which the delivery pump is arranged in the fermenter tank inner chamber on a rigid pressure pipe;

[0051] FIG. 4 shows a view corresponding to the arrow A in FIG. 3;

[0052] FIG. 5 shows a design that is alternative to the embodiment according to FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, with a flexible pressure line and a delivery pump held height-adjustably along a delivery pump guide mast;

[0053] FIG. 6 shows a schematic basic sketch of another alternative embodiment, in which the delivery pump is located outside the fermenter tank inner chamber; and

[0054] FIG. 7 shows an alternative embodiment to the design according to FIG. 5, with a completely internal delivery pump.

[0055] FIG. 1 shows an exemplary and schematic basic sketch, by means of which the structure and the operating principle of a biogas plant fermenter tank according to invention will be explained in greater detail by way of example.

[0056] In FIG. 1, a biogas plant fermenter tank 1 of a biogas plant (not shown further), which may also have at least one further fermenter tank in addition to the biogas plant fermenter tank 1, is shown, i.e. the biogas plant fermenter tank 1 can be a pre-fermenter tank, a main fermenter tank, or a post-fermenter tank of a biogas plant. This fermenter tank 1 has a tank bottom wall 2 as well as a preferably circular cylindrical tank side wall 3 and is covered on its top side and thus on the ceiling side with a foil roof 4, which is only shown here schematically and in principle. In this regard, the fermenter tank 1 is of a conventional design.

[0057] The tank inner chamber 5 contains a substantially liquid substrate 6 to be fermented, which is formed, for example, by a liquid, such as liquid manure, which contains solids, such as straw, which have a relatively strong tendency to float, so that a floating or cover layer 7, which is only shown here schematically, forms on the surface of the substrate 6 and routinely has a fissured surface structure.

[0058] In the tank inner chamber 5, two mechanical stirring devices 8 forming stirring units with stirring blades are arranged here, as an example. These stirring devices 8 (of course, it is also possible to provide only one single stirring device 8) are designed and arranged in the tank inner chamber 5 in such a way that, by means of these stirring devices, the substrate 6 is substantially or preferably completely homogenized and/or mixed only in the region below the floating layer and without stirring the floating layer into the substrate.

[0059] Furthermore, an injection device 9 is provided here, which here has only two delivery pumps 10, as an example (it is also possible that only one delivery pump 10 is provided), by means of which a specific amount of substrate is extracted from the fermenter tank 1 as injection liquid. Alternatively or additionally, the substrate can also be extracted from any other fermenter tank of an associated biogas plant in a manner not shown here. In this case, the at least one delivery pump is then arranged in or on the other fermenter tank in such a way that the substrate there can be extracted.

[0060] The injection device 9 further has an injection nozzle element 11 which is fluidically connected to a corresponding delivery pump 10 and by means of which the injection liquid 12 extracted by means of the at least one delivery pump can be injected into the fermenter tank 1 or into the tank inner chamber 5 in such a way that, relative to a direction of the vertical axis of the tank, it impinges as a liquid jet 13 from above onto the surface of the floating layer 7 of the substrate 6 and wets the latter. As already explained in conjunction with the delivery pump 10, the arrangement of, here, a total of two injection nozzle elements 11 is only to be understood as an example, and of course there could also be only a single injection nozzle element 11. It is also possible to provide only one delivery pump 10, which feeds a plurality of injection nozzle elements 11. In principle, only one single injection nozzle element 11 could be provided, which is fluidically connected to a plurality of delivery pumps 10, in which case the delivery pumps 10 can then, if necessary, draw in substrate from different regions or different heights, as viewed in the direction of the vertical axis of the tank, and/or from different fermenter tanks of the biogas plant.

[0061] By wetting the floating layer 7 with substrate from the fermenter tank 1, it is advantageously achieved that the floating layer 7 itself is also incorporated in the process of fermentation and thus biogas production, so that it does not have to be broken up and stirred, as has been the case until now. The additional arrangement of at least one stirring device 8 simultaneously achieves a substantially complete mixing and thus homogenization of the substrate below the floating layer 7, as shown schematically by the arrows 14, which also contributes to achieving a high biogas yield. The particular advantage of operating the stirring device 8 without the need to break up or stir in the floating layer 7 is that the substantially complete homogenization or mixing of the liquid substrate 6 alone, i.e. without floating layers, can be achieved with relatively little energy expenditure, and therefore the energy consumption of the stirring device 8 actuated in accordance with the invention is considerably lower than that of a stirring device by means of which floating layers are broken up and stirred in.

[0062] The liquid jet 13 of an injection nozzle element 11 is adjusted here depending on the nozzle opening and the delivery pressure applied via the delivery pump 10, in such a way that a desired wetting of the surface of the floating layer 7 is achieved, in particular in such a way that, preferably, the floating layer 7 is not completely destructed. It is particularly preferred that the surface of the floating layer 7 is only acted upon in such a way that it becomes more fissured in order to provide an enlarged surface area for attack by the bacteria from the substrate sprayed on.

[0063] As can be seen in FIG. 1, there are different ways of arranging an injection device 9 and a stirring device 8. As shown in FIG. 2 only schematically and in principle, depending on the size of a fermenter tank 1, preferably viewed in the circumferential direction, a plurality of identical and/or different stirring devices 8 or injection nozzle elements 11 can also be arranged spaced apart from one another. FIG. 2 further shows schematically that the individual stirring devices 8 can also be of different sizes and thus can be able to achieve different stirring performances. The stirring devices 8 can be, in principle, separate stirring units, which are introduced into the tank inner chamber 5 as separate units from the side or from above, in each case in relation to the direction of the vertical axis of the tank. Alternatively, these stirring devices 8 can also be part of a service device 15, as described below in conjunction with the other exemplary embodiments.

[0064] Similarly, the injection devices 9, as shown in conjunction with FIG. 2, may be at least partly a component of such a service device 15 or, as also shown in FIG. 1, may be formed by separate units installed independently of such a service device 15, for example on the tank side wall 3, in such a way that a front end of the injection nozzle element 11, which has an injection nozzle 16, projects, preferably gas-tightly, into the tank inner chamber 5, while a rear, connection-side end 18 of the injection nozzle element 11 lies or is arranged outside the tank inner chamber 5 and is prepared there for connection of a pressure line 19 of the delivery pump 10 and is easily accessible. This pressure line 19 can be designed as a flexible or rigid pressure line, just as the intake line 20 upstream of the delivery pump 10 can be designed to be flexible or rigid. The intake line 20 can either be led to an intake port 21 in the tank side wall 3 or it can also be led through the tank side wall 3 into the interior of the fermenter tank 1.

[0065] In the schematic basic sketch of FIG. 1, the delivery pump 10 is only shown by way of example as an external delivery pump 10 located outside the fermenter tank 1. However, as will be explained in more detail in the following drawings, this delivery pump 10 can also be located inside the tank inner chamber 5.

[0066] FIGS. 3 and 4 show a particularly preferred embodiment or variant according to the invention with a service device 15, which has a walkable service platform 22 which can be arranged in the region of a foil roof 4, only drawn in a very schematic manner by dashed lines in FIG. 3, and which is formed here, again merely by way of example, by a walkable and level platform. This service platform 22 has an outer edge region 23, which, merely by way of example, rests here in a gas-tight contact connection on the tank side wall 3 and is attached there removably or rigidly, for example by means of a screw connection. As can be seen in particular from FIG. 4, but only very schematically there, the service platform 22 can also be supported from below on its underside with a support device formed by a support frame 24, with the support frame 24 being supported here, merely by way of example, on the inside of the tank side wall 3.

[0067] The service platform 22 is designed here, by way of example, in the manner of a trapezium, more specifically preferably an isosceles trapezium, with a first base side forming the longer base side, which forms the outer edge region 23 and adjoins the tank side wall 3. The second base side 26 opposite the first, longer base side 25 forms the shorter base side, and the two base sides 25, 26 are connected by obliquely extending leg sides 27, 28.

[0068] As can be further seen from the combination of FIGS. 3 and 4, the service platform 22 has an assembly wall 29 projecting upwardly from it in the direction of the vertical axis of the tank, in this case at right angles, for example. This assembly wall 29 extends here only by way of example over the entire second base side 26 and substantially completely over the two leg sides 27, 28, with the height of the assembly wall sloping downwardly from the second base side 26 to the first base side 25.

[0069] As shown only very schematically and by dashed lines in FIG. 3, the assembly wall with its upper edge region 30 forms the, or at least a part of the, foil roof connection region 31 on the service platform side, to which the foil roof 4 is preferably fixed gas-tightly and preferably by means of a detachable clamping connection.

[0070] As can also be seen from FIGS. 3 and 4, the injection nozzle element 11 is here, by way of example, held in the region of the second, shorter base side 26 on the assembly wall 29 and passed through it in such a way that the front end, which has the injection nozzle 16, projects, preferably gas-tightly, into the tank inner chamber 5, while the rear, connection-side end 18 of the injection nozzle element 11 lies outside the tank inner chamber 5 above the service platform 22 and is thus very easily accessible for the connection of a pressure line 19.

[0071] In the exemplary embodiment of FIGS. 3 and 4, the pressure line 19 is designed as a rigid pressure line, which, starting from the connection-side, rear end of the injection nozzle element 11, is led through a pressure line feedthrough 32 in the service platform to an internal delivery pump 10 arranged in the tank inner chamber.

[0072] The pressure line 19 formed by a rigid pressure pipe is supported or held here in the region of the pressure line feedthrough 32 and also, for example, on the bottom side of the tank.

[0073] As can be seen in particular in FIG. 4, the internal delivery pump 10 is attached here directly to the rigid pressure pipe as a pressure line 19 and is held so that the delivery pump 10 draws in the injection liquid directly via its intake side and delivers it via the pressure pipe as pressure line 19 to the injection nozzle element 11.

[0074] The injection nozzle 16 is attached to the injection nozzle element by means of an elastic, tubular intermediate piece (FIGS. 3 and 4) 33, which is only shown here in an extremely schematic manner, and which can be an elastomer hose, and is connected to a guide rod 34 of an adjusting device 35, the guide rod 34, in this case, acting on or being attached to the top side of the injection nozzle 16, relative to the direction of the vertical axis of the tank.

[0075] The guide rod 34, which is not shown in detail here, is guided with play and via an elastomer sleeve in a gas-tight manner through an assembly wall region to the outside of the fermenter tank 1 and is mounted there in a slotted guide 36 of the adjusting device 35, in such a way that a displacement of the guide rod 34 in the direction of the vertical axis and/or transversely to the direction of the vertical axis and/or in the longitudinal direction of the guide rod is possible, and thus the front end 17, which has the injection nozzle 16, can be arranged in different positions, for example in order to adjust or change the radiation angle.

[0076] As can also be seen in particular in FIG. 3, the service platform 22 has a delivery pump service opening 37, in particular as an inspection opening, which is closed gas-tightly by means of a cover 38 as a covering device, in particular directly adjacently to the pressure line feedthrough 32 in the service platform 22. If the cover 38 is removed, entry and/or access to the internal delivery pump 10 is possible via the delivery pump service opening 37.

[0077] As can also be seen from the overview of FIGS. 3 and 4, the service platform 22 also has an agitator service opening 39 which can be closed gas-tightly by means of a covering device described in more detail below, through which opening a stirring device guided on a stirring device guide mast 40 height-adjustably is accessible as stirring device 8 for maintenance and service works or can be moved out of the fermenter tank 1 and back into the fermenter tank 1, preferably substantially gas-tightly. The stirring device 8 is designed here by way of example as a submersible agitator with stirring blades.

[0078] At this juncture, it should be mentioned that all stirring devices can be operated electrically, pneumatically or hydraulically in the known manner. The same applies to the delivery pumps 10.

[0079] In conjunction with the height-adjustably guided submersible agitator, it should also be mentioned that the height adjustment can be carried out in a manner known per se, for example using a cable winch or the like. In FIG. 4 only the traction cable 41 acting on the submersible agitator is shown, as an example.

[0080] As can also be seen from FIGS. 3 and 4, the agitator guide mast 40, in relation to the direction of the vertical axis of the tank, is guided upwardly with an upper part of the mast through the agitator service opening 39 out of the fermenter tank 1, with the agitator service opening 39 being covered gas-tightly by a cover 42 and an adjacent mast housing 43 which projects beyond the plane of the cover 42. Here the mast housing 43 has a plurality of side walls, is open at the bottom towards the tank inner chamber 5 and forms a bearing 45 for the mast upper part in a cover wall 44. The side wall 46 of the mast housing 43 is designed as an openable maintenance wall, which is adjoined in the lower region by the cover 42, which is likewise openable, so that the openable side wall (maintenance wall) 46 and the cover 42 can be opened and the stirring device 8 can be lifted upwardly above the level of the stirring device service opening 39 out of the tank inner chamber 5.

[0081] As shown in particular in FIG. 4, around the agitator service opening 39 there is arranged a sealing element as a gas skirt 47 which, in the sealing position, projects downwardly in the form of a shaft into the fermenter tank inner chamber 5 and which—in a manner not shown here—at least during maintenance and service works, dips into the liquid substrate that is accommodated in the fermenter tank 1 and is to be fermented, and gas-tightly separates the gas phase region annularly enclosed by the gas skirt below the openable agitator service opening 39 and above the substrate from the remaining gas phase region of the tank inner chamber 5. The gas skirt 47 is here, for example, formed by a rigid, non-displaceable and inflexible collar in the form of a pipe socket which permanently projects from the agitator service opening 39 in the direction of the fermenter tank inner chamber 5.

[0082] In conjunction with the delivery pump service opening 37 and the agitator service opening 39, different possibilities for the design of a covering device for a service opening are explained here in greater detail, by way of example. It goes without saying that the agitator service opening 39 can of course also only be sealed gas-tightly by a cover, as has been explained in conjunction with the delivery pump service opening 37.

[0083] On the other hand, instead of the cover 38 for the delivery pump service opening 37, a cover 42 and mast housing 43 can also be provided, as has been explained in greater detail in conjunction with the agitator service opening 39. This is particularly advantageous if, as shown only very schematically in FIG. 5, the internal delivery pump 10 is also designed as a functional part that is height-adjustably guided on a delivery pump guide mast 48 in the direction of the vertical axis of the tank, because then the delivery pump 10 can also be lifted upwardly above the level of the delivery pump service opening 37. In this case, the pressure line 19 or at least a partial region of this pressure line 19 lying in the tank inner chamber 5 is then also designed as a pressure line which is variable in shape and/or length, in particular as a flexible or telescopic pressure line. The height adjustment of the delivery pump 10 along the delivery pump guide mast 48 can then be carried out here in the same way as the height adjustment of a submersible agitator on the agitator guide mast 40, for example by means of a traction cable that can be wound or unwound on a cable winch.

[0084] In FIG. 5, however, the displaceable variant of the internal delivery pump 10 is shown here in conjunction with a cover 38 as a covering device, as explained above in conjunction with FIGS. 3 and 4.

[0085] In FIG. 5, on the one hand the support frame 24 is shown by a dashed line, only very schematically and basically, and an agitator guide mast 40 with a submersible agitator as stirring device 8 is also shown schematically and by a dashed line. For reasons of clarity, however, no mast housing 43 for this agitator guide mast 40 is shown in FIG. 5.

[0086] The explanations just given show that there are various possibilities for designing the service platform 22 of the service device with a covering device for service openings, with the corresponding desired variant being selected depending on the application and purpose. It should also be mentioned here, merely for the sake of completeness, that it would of course also be possible in principle to provide a cover with a mast housing in conjunction with a delivery pump 10, which in particular is height-adjustably guided on a delivery pump guide mast 48, and for the agitator service opening 39 merely a cover corresponding to the cover 38 of FIGS. 3 and 4.

[0087] It goes without saying that a gas skirt 47 can of course also be provided in conjunction with the delivery pump service opening 37, especially in conjunction with the height-adjustable delivery pump variant shown in FIG. 5, even though this is not explicitly shown.

[0088] FIG. 6 shows a further alternative embodiment in which the pressure line 19, preferably in the form of a pressure line of variable shape and/or length, for example as a flexible pressure line, is led from the connection-side rear end 18 of the injection nozzle element 11 to an external delivery pump arranged outside the fermenter tank 1 (see also FIG. 1), the intake side of which pump has an intake line 20 which is led to an intake port 21 in the tank side wall 3. As further illustrated in FIG. 6, the tank side wall may be provided with a plurality of intake ports 21 arranged at different heights in the direction of the vertical axis of the tank, more specifically in particular in the direction of the vertical axis substantially in a row of intake ports 21 arranged one above the other and spaced apart from one another. These intake ports 21 may be connected to the intake line 20 of the external delivery pump 10 so that the delivery pump can be arranged at different heights with respect to the substrate. Alternatively, different intake lines of different delivery pumps can also be connected to the different intake ports 21, leading for example to different injection nozzle elements 11. Also in FIG. 6, for reasons of clarity, no mast housing 43 for the agitator guide mast 40 is shown. It goes without saying that, alternatively but of course, other embodiments without mast housing 43 are also possible, for example to the effect that the agitator service opening 39 can only be closed gas-tightly with a cover, as explained in conjunction with the delivery pump service opening 37.

[0089] FIG. 7 shows a further alternative embodiment, here only as an example of the design according to FIG. 5, in which the injection nozzle element 11 is fully or completely arranged in the tank inner chamber 5. Here, too, the injection nozzle element 11 is held on the service platform 22 and preferably on the assembly wall 29, for example approximately in the region of the second base side 26. Access to the injection nozzle element can be gained here, for example, via the service opening 37 or, possibly alternatively or additionally, via an inspection opening (not shown here) in the assembly wall 29. The connection-side end 18 of the injection nozzle element 11 located within the fermenter tank 1 is then also connected to a pressure line 19 leading away from the internal delivery pump 10. Such a completely internal arrangement is, of course, also possible in conjunction with other embodiments and arrangements of a pressure line and/or a delivery pump, for example in conjunction with a non-height-adjustable internal delivery pump 10 and/or in conjunction with a rigid pressure pipe as pressure line 19, as shown in the embodiment according to FIGS. 3 and 4. Also in FIG. 7, again for reasons of clarity, no mast housing 43 for the agitator guide mast 40 is shown. It goes without saying that, alternatively but of course, other embodiments without a mast housing 43 are also possible here, for example to the effect that the agitator service opening 39 can only be closed gas-tightly with a cover, as has been explained in conjunction with the delivery pump service opening 37.