HEIGHT-ADJUSTMENT DEVICE AND METHOD FOR OPERATING AN AGITATING DEVICE

Abstract

Height adjusting device (1) for adjusting the height of an agitating device (2) in a digester (101) of a biogas plant (100), biogas plant (100) comprising a digester (101), a support unit (10), a displacement member (6), an agitating device (2), and a height adjusting device, and method for operating an agitating device (2). The height adjusting device comprises a housing unit (4), a drum device (5) rotatably accommodated on the housing unit (4), and a displacement member (6). The displacement member (6) is in functional connection with the drum device (5) and the agitating device (2) and the displacement member (6), depending on the direction of rotation of the drum device (5), can be wound onto the drum device (5) or unwound from the drum device (5) in sections, so that the agitating device (2) can be displaced upwardly or downwardly. Furthermore a fixing device (7) is provided which is suitable and configured to fix the drum device (5) at least temporarily to prevent the displacement member (6) from unwinding if the displacement member (6) is not retained tautly between the drum device (5) and the agitating device (2).

Claims

1. Height adjusting device (1), in particular for adjusting the height of at least one agitating device (2) in a digester (101) of a biogas plant (100), comprising at least one housing unit (4), at least one drum device (5) rotatably accommodated at the housing unit (4) and at least one displacement member (6), wherein the displacement member (6) is in functional connection with the drum device (5) and the agitating device (2) and wherein the displacement member (6) depending on the direction of rotation of the drum device (5) can at least partially be wound onto the drum device (5) or unwound from the drum device (5), so that the agitating device (2) can be displaced upwardly or downwardly, characterized in that at least one fixing device (7) is provided which is suitable and configured to fix the drum device (5) at least temporarily to prevent the displacement member (6) at least from unwinding if the displacement member (6) is not retained tautly between the drum device (5) and the agitating device (2).

2. The height adjusting device (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the displacement member comprises at least a cable (8) and/or a chain (9).

3. The height adjusting device (1) according claim 1, characterized in that the agitating device (2) is accommodated on a support unit (10) along which it can be displaced upwardly and downwardly.

4. The height adjusting device (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the fixing device (7) comprises at least one disk device (11) and at least one fixing member (12).

5. The height adjusting device (1) according to claim 4, characterized in that the drum device (5) can be fixed by way of form grip and/or static friction between the disk device (11) and the fixing member (12).

6. The height adjusting device (1) according to claim 4, characterized in that the disk device (11) is assigned to the drum device (5).

7. The height adjusting device (1) according to claim 4, characterized in that the disk device (11) is at least part of the drum device (5).

8. The height adjusting device (1) according to claim 4, characterized in that the disk device (11) is provided on the side (13) of the drum device (5) facing the housing unit (4).

9. The height adjusting device (1) according to claim 4, characterized in that the disk device (11) is configured as a brake disk (14) and that the fixing member (12) comprises at least one brake pad (15).

10. The height adjusting device (1) according to claim 4, characterized in that the disk device (11) is configured as a toothed disk (16).

11. The height adjusting device (1) according to claim 10, characterized in that at least one tooth (17) of the toothed disk (16) is facing radially outwardly.

12. The height adjusting device (1) according to claim 4, characterized in that the fixing member (12) is retained on the housing unit (4) to be pivotable relative to the drum device (5) and/or the disk device (11).

13. The height adjusting device (1) according to claim 4, characterized in that the fixing device (7) comprises at least one biasing device (33).

14. The height adjusting device (1) according to claim 13, characterized in that the biasing device (33) is disposed between the fixing member (12) and the housing unit (4).

15. The height adjusting device (1) according to claim 4, characterized in that the fixing member (12) comprises at least one appendix (18), hook (19) and/or pawl (20).

16. The height adjusting device (1) according to claim 4, characterized in that the fixing member (12) comprises at least one cable guide (21).

17. The height adjusting device (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the fixing device (7) comprises at least one freewheel (22).

18. The height adjusting device (1) according to claim 17, characterized in that the freewheel (22) is provided by at least one momentum grade (23) on at least one tooth (17) of the toothed disk (16).

19. The height adjusting device (1) according to claim 18, characterized in that the drum device (5) has at least one transmission device (25) assigned to it.

20. Biogas plant (100) having at least one digester (101), at least one support unit (10), at least one displacement member (6) and at least one agitating device (2), wherein the agitating device (2) can be displaced upwardly and downwardly on the support unit (10) by means of the displacement member (6), characterized in that at least one height adjusting device (1) according to claim 1 is provided.

21. Method for operating an agitating device (2) in a digester (101) of a biogas plant (100), wherein the agitating device (3) can be displaced along a support unit (10) by means of a height adjusting device (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the drum device (5) is fixed at least temporarily in at least one direction of rotation by means of the fixing device (7) so that the displacement member (6) is automatically prevented from unwinding further if the displacement member (6) is not retained tautly between the agitating device (2) and the drum device (5).

Description

[0044] The figures show in:

[0045] FIG. 1 a purely schematic illustration of a biogas plant comprising an inventive height adjusting device;

[0046] FIG. 2 a perspective view of an inventive height adjusting device in a purely schematic illustration;

[0047] FIG. 3 a purely schematic illustration of an inventive height adjusting device in a top view;

[0048] FIG. 4 a purely schematic illustration of an inventive height adjusting device in a front view;

[0049] FIG. 5 a purely schematic illustration of an inventive height adjusting device in a side view;

[0050] FIG. 6 a purely schematic illustration of an inventive height adjusting device in a front view along the sectional plane A-A in FIG. 5;

[0051] FIG. 7 another purely schematic illustration of an inventive height adjusting device in a front view;

[0052] FIG. 8 another purely schematic illustration of an inventive height adjusting device in a side view;

[0053] FIG. 9 another purely schematic illustration of an inventive height adjusting device in a front view along the sectional plane B-B in FIG. 8;

[0054] FIG. 10 a purely schematic illustration of a fixing member in a perspective view; and

[0055] FIG. 11 a purely schematic illustration of the fixing member according to FIG. 10 in an exploded view.

[0056] FIG. 1 is a purely schematic illustration of a digester 101 of a biogas plant 100 in a sectional view. In this embodiment the digester 101 comprises a digester wall 103 bordering the digester interior 102. The digester interior 102 is suitable to receive substrate 104 for fermenting.

[0057] The right side of the digester 101 purely schematically illustrates a platform 105 providing access to a servicing opening 106 in the digester roof 107. The agitating device 2 can be readily accessed through this servicing opening 106 in particular for maintenance purposes. The agitating device 2 shown is configured as an agitator 3.

[0058] The presently illustrated digester 101 is provided with a total of three agitators 3 which achieve a particularly homogeneous, thorough mixing of the substrate 104. The illustrated exemplary embodiment includes a servicing opening 106 for each of the agitators 3 wherein only the servicing opening 106 for the agitator 3 on the right is illustrated purely schematically.

[0059] Each of the three agitating devices 2 can be displaced upwardly and downwardly along a supporting device 10. Moreover the agitators 3 can also be pivoted about the longitudinal axis 25 of the pertaining support unit 10. This allows to achieve a particularly effective and homogeneous thorough mixing of the substrate 104 in the digester interior 102.

[0060] Each of the support units 10 comprises at its top end a height adjusting device 1 comprising one drum device 5 each. The drum devices 5 are configured as cable spools 26. Each cable spool 26 receives one displacement member 6 which presently is configured as a cable 8. In other configurations the cable 8 may be provided by a chain 9 or another suitable means.

[0061] The drum device 5 allows the displacement member 6 to shift upwardly and downwardly. In this way the agitating devices 2 can be height-adjusted along the support unit 10.

[0062] Changing the height of the agitating devices 2, however, involves certain risks due to errors in application and/or malfunction. Pulling the agitating devices 2 upwardly is as a rule unproblematic. When lowering the agitating devices 2, however, although the displacement member 6 unwinds from the drum device 5, it may happen that the agitating device 2 is not displaced downwardly along the support unit 10.

[0063] This may happen in the case of malfunction for example if the agitating device 2 is jammed on the support unit 10. Maloperation of the biogas plant 100 may likewise result in that the agitating device 2 is not displaced downwardly along the support unit 10 although the displacement member 6 unwinds from the drum device 5. This may happen among other things if a user wishes to displace the agitating device 2 downwardly while the rotor 27 of the agitating device 2 is still rotating.

[0064] The rotation of the rotor 27 generates a certain static friction between the agitating device 2 and the support unit 10 which may in certain circumstances prohibit displacement of the agitating device 2 along the supporting device 10. In the worst-case scenario the displacement member 6 may then unwind from the drum device 5 although the agitating device 2 is not displaced further downwardly. This would cause the displacement member 6 to not be retained tautly between the drum device 5 and the agitating device 2.

[0065] When the agitating device 2 is not displaced along with the unwinding displacement member 6, the length of the displacement member 6 between the drum device 5 and the agitating device 2 keeps increasing so that in the worst-case scenario the displacement member 6 may get into the rotor 27 of the agitating device 2. Then the agitator blades 28 of the rotor 27 may make contact with the displacement member 6 and wind it up due to the rotation of the rotor 27.

[0066] This might cause damage to the displacement member 6 or to supply lines running in parallel. In the very worst-case scenario the displacement member 6 and/or the supply lines may tear apart.

[0067] The supply lines are not shown in detail in the embodiment illustrated. A supply line may for example be a current-carrying line for operating the agitating device 2 or else a hydraulic line for operating the agitating device 2.

[0068] If the displacement member 6 is damaged or torn apart then it may be very difficult to convey the agitating device 2 along the support unit 10 in the direction of the servicing opening 106 for repairs. In the worst-case scenario, operation of the biogas plant 100 must be stopped and the digester 101 emptied out so as to install a new displacement member 6 on the agitating device 2 through access to the digester interior 102.

[0069] The height adjusting device 100 according to the invention can effectively and reliably prevent this kind of damage since the height adjusting device 1 according to the present invention comprises a fixing device 7 prohibiting unwinding of the displacement member 6 if the displacement member 6 is not retained tautly between the drum device 5 and the agitating device 2.

[0070] The height adjusting device 1 according to the invention is purely schematically shown in detail in the FIGS. 2 to 12.

[0071] FIG. 2 illustrates the height adjusting device 1 according to the invention purely schematically in a perspective view. The height adjusting device 1 comprises a housing unit 4 which rotatably accommodates a drum device 5. The drum device 5 is pushed onto an axle 29 that is oriented substantially horizontally.

[0072] The drum device 5 has assigned to it a gear transmission 24 for rotating the drum device 5 from outside of the digester 101. The gear transmission 24 is received in or on the housing unit 4.

[0073] The drum device 5 serves to accommodate a displacement member 6 which is at best indicated purely schematically in the following Figures. The displacement member 6 is provided to be a cable 8 in the presently illustrated embodiment. Or else it may for example be configured as a chain 9. The cable 8 may be manufactured from any suitable material which should in particular be suitable to be employed in the substrate 104.

[0074] The height adjusting device 1 comprises a fixing device 7 to prohibit further unwinding of the displacement member 6 if it is not tensioned or not retained tautly between the drum device 5 and the agitating device 2.

[0075] Depending on the embodiment the fixing device 7 serves to prohibit either by static friction and/or by form grip further unwinding movement of the drum device 5.

[0076] In the embodiment shown the fixing device 7 comprises a disk device 11 and a fixing member 12. In the embodiment shown the disk device 11 is configured as a toothed disk 16 which can block the drum device 5 by way of form grip with the fixing member 12.

[0077] The toothed disk 16 provides a bearer 30 of the drum device 5. Other configurations may also provide an additional component as a disk device 11 which is then accommodated for example on the same axle 29 as is the drum device 5. A disk device 11 may also effectively prohibit rotation of the drum device 5 in this way.

[0078] The fixing member 12 of the fixing device 7 is received on the housing unit 4 to be pivotable relative to the disk device 11. The pivot axis 31 in the embodiment shown is provided about parallel to the axis 29 of the drum device 5.

[0079] The fixing member 12 also comprises a cable guide 21 which securely guides the displacement member 6 and which moreover causes the pivoting motion of the fixing member 12 for fixing or releasing the drum device 5.

[0080] FIG. 3 illustrates the height adjusting device 1 according to FIG. 2 in a purely schematic top view. Again one can recognize the transmission device 24 through which the drum device 5 may be rotated. The drum device 5 comprises the disk device 11 of the fixing device 7 wherein the disk device 11 configured as a toothed disk 16 is provided on the side 13 of the drum device 5 facing the housing unit 4. The fixing member 12 is accommodated on the housing unit 4 to pivot about the pivot axis 31.

[0081] In FIG. 4 the height adjusting device 1 according to the invention is shown in a purely schematic front view. One looks at the outer bearer 32 of the drum device 5 and the fixing member 12 pivotally accommodated on the housing unit 4.

[0082] In the presently shown embodiment the disk device 11 is configured as a toothed disk 16 with the disk device 11 not visible in this view. The fixing member 12 comprises an appendix 18 which is configured as a hook 19 respectively pawl 20.

[0083] In the presently shown illustration the fixing member 12 is pivoted away from the disk device 11 so that the appendix 18 does not make contact with the disk device 11. This allows the drum device 5 to freely rotate in both directions.

[0084] The fixing member 12 swings out automatically if the displacement member 6 is retained tautly between the drum device 5 and the agitating device 2. Then the displacement member 6 runs in the cable guide 21 of the fixing member 12 so that it is displaced away from the disk device 11. Then the fixing member 12 is counter to the tractive force of the biasing member 33 of the fixing device 7.

[0085] In the presently shown embodiment the biasing member 33 is configured as a spring 34 respectively tension spring 34. The spring 34 serves to automatically establish contact of the fixing member 12 with the disk device 11 if the displacement member 6 is not retained tautly between the drum device 5 and the agitating device 2.

[0086] Then the tensile force of the spring 34 causes the fixing member 12 to be pulled in the direction of the disk device 11 as soon as the displacement member 6 ceases to apply a counterforce against the tensile force of the spring 34 by way of the cable guide 21.

[0087] In FIG. 5 the height adjusting device 1 according to the invention is illustrated in a purely schematic side view from the left. The sectional plane A-A inserted in FIG. 5 is shown in FIG. 6 purely schematically in a front sectional view.

[0088] One can recognize in FIG. 6 the disk device 11 of the fixing device 7 which is provided as one piece with the drum device 5. The disk device 11 is provided on the side 13 of the drum device 5 facing the housing unit 4 and is configured as a toothed disk 16.

[0089] When the displacement member 6 is retained tautly, the displacement member 6 applies a counterforce against the tensile force of the spring 34 through the cable guide 21 so as to cause the fixing member 12 to pivot away from the disk device 11. Due to this the pawl 20 of the fixing member 12 ceases to contact a tooth 17 of the toothed disk 16.

[0090] In this situation the drum device 5 can freely rotate in both directions to thus enable the agitating device 2 to be displaced upwardly and downwardly along the support unit 10.

[0091] FIG. 7 illustrates purely schematically the movement of the fixing member 12 as it occurs if the displacement member 6 ceases to be retained taut between the drum device 5 and the agitating device 2.

[0092] Then the fixing member 12 is pulled in the direction of the disk device 11 due to the tensile force of the biasing device 33.

[0093] The blocked situation of the drum device 5 is illustrated purely schematically in the FIGS. 8 and 9.

[0094] When the displacement member 6 is not retained tautly between the agitating device 2 and the drum device 5 then the fixing member 12 of the fixing device 7 is pivoted in the direction of the disk device 11. This occurs due to the tensile force of the biasing member 33 of the fixing device 7.

[0095] In the presently shown embodiment the disk device 11 is configured as a toothed disk 16. In this embodiment an appendix 18 of the fixing member 12 being in functional connection with at least one tooth 17 of the toothed disk 16 may result in a form grip owing to which the drum device 5 is prevented at least from further unwinding.

[0096] In the presently shown embodiment a freewheel 22 is provided on the fixing device 7. This freewheel 22 is provided by way of momentum grades 23 on the teeth 17 of the toothed disk 16. The momentum grade 23 achieves that, although rotation of the drum device 5 is blocked in the one direction by the pawl 20 being in functional connection with a tooth 17 of the toothed disk 16, the displacement member 6 can still wind up onto the drum device 5.

[0097] In another embodiment not shown in detail the disk device 11 may be provided by a brake disk 14 wherein the fixing member 12 then has at least one brake pad 15 which when in functional connection with the brake disk 14 prevents rotation of the drum device 5 in at least one direction at least temporarily. This embodiment is purely schematically indicated in FIG. 9.

[0098] FIG. 10 purely schematically illustrates an embodiment of a fixing member 12 in a perspective view.

[0099] The fixing member 12 is retained pivotally around the pivot axis 31 and comprises an appendix 18 which is configured as a hook 19 respectively pawl 20. The pawl 20 is disposed on the fixing member 12 so that as the fixing member 12 swivels the pawl 20 may establish a functional connection with the disk device 11.

[0100] In the presently shown embodiment the fixing member 12 moreover comprises a cable guide 21 which is presently provided by a pair of rollers 35, 36.

[0101] Moreover one recognizes a fastener 37 to which one side of the biasing member 33 can be fastened. The other side of the biasing member 33 may be conveniently fastened to the housing unit 4 so that the fixing member 12 is pulled in the direction of the disk device 11 by way of the tensile force of the biasing member 33 if the displacement member 6 is not retained tautly between the agitating device 2 and the drum device 5.

[0102] The fixing member 12 according to FIG. 10 is illustrated in FIG. 11 purely schematically in an exploded view. One can recognize the detailed structure of the described embodiment of the fixing member 12.

[0103] The fastener 37 is provided by a screwed connection 38. The rollers 35, 36 of the cable guide 21 in the embodiment shown are manufactured of plastic, these rollers 35, 36 being provided on metal rollers 39 which are accommodated on the fixing member 12 by means of screwed connections 38.

TABLE-US-00001 List of reference numerals: 1 height adjusting device 2 agitating device 3 digester 4 housing unit 5 drum device 6 displacement member 7 fixing device 8 cable 9 chain 10 support unit 11 disk device 12 fixing member 13 side 14 brake disk 15 brake pad 16 toothed disk 17 tooth 18 appendix 19 hook 20 pawl 21 cable guide 22 freewheel 23 momentum grade 24 transmission device 25 longitudinal axis 26 cable spool 27 rotor 28 agitator blade 29 axle, axis 30 bearer 31 pivot axis 32 bearer 33 biasing device 34 spring, tension spring 35 roller 36 roller 37 fastener 38 screwed connection 39 roller 100 biogas plant 101 digester 102 digester interior 103 digester wall 104 substrate 105 platform 106 servicing opening 107 digester roof