The present invention relates to a modular biogas plant. The modular biogas plant includes a plurality of tanks for holding biomass. The plurality of tanks are connected to one another in a fluid manner. Furthermore, at least one gas reservoir is provided which is designed to hold the biogas generated in the biogas plant.
Additionally, the invention relates to a method for operating a modular biogas plant. The power range, in kWh, of the modular biogas plant essentially depends on the digestibility of the biomass fed and the parameters at which the modular biogas plant is operated. In particular, depending on the configuration, a modular biogas plant can be operated in a power range of up to 500 kWh. It goes without saying for a person skilled in the art that the power range can also be extended beyond 500 kWh. The modular biogas plant comprises a plurality of tanks that are configured to hold digestible biomass. From the plurality of tanks, at least two tanks are configured as hydrolysis tanks. At least one further tank of the plurality of tanks is a fermenter tank. Furthermore, at least one reservoir is provided which is suitable for receiving the biogas generated by the biogas plant.
The invention also relates to a system for computer-aided, centralized monitoring and control.
The German patent application DE 10 2008 015 609 A1 discloses a biogas plant and a method for generating biogas. Disclosed here is a method for producing biogas, in particular methane gas, in a multi-stage process. The multi-stage process includes a hydrolysis process and a methane formation process. The hydrolysis process is spatially separated from the methane formation process. The biogas plant itself has at least two hydrolysis tanks and a fermentation tank or fermenter for a methane formation process. The at least two hydrolysis tanks are spatially separated from the downstream fermenter. A disadvantage of the described biogas plant is that it is not modular, not mobile and is not constructed in a compact manner. In addition, this biogas plant does not allow for remote maintenance or remote control. A move of the biogas plant to another location or a different construction on site is not possible.
The German utility model DE 20 2013 101 554 U1 discloses a receptacle of a biogas plant. The receptacle has a bottom and a peripheral wall. The wall of the receptacle is supported on the outside against at least one container. The at least one container holds a technical device that is required to operate the biogas plant.
The Chinese patent application CN 10 41 40 928 discloses a container for a modular biogas plant. The tank body is arranged in the container. A support frame is arranged between the tank body and the container. The outer part of the tank body is surrounded by a heating loop. The heating loop is a water pipe.
In the Chinese patent application CN 10 62 81 996 a modular bioreactor is disclosed. The modular bioreactor includes several facilities required for the digestion or feeding of the biomass. A modular biogas plant, as described by the present invention is not disclosed.
The German patent application DE 199 58 142 A1 discloses a modular biogas plant. The transportable, modular biogas plant comprises a fermenter and an energy section, both of which are separate components. These components are housed in standard transport containers or in standard transport container frames. The fermenter has a rigid shell. The biogas plant described here is a single-stage and non-thermophilic process.
The German patent DE 10 2004 053 615 B3 discloses a method of degradation of biogenic material (dry substrate fermentation). For this purpose, a percolator is equipped with biogenic material. A percolation liquid is separated by a sieve and sprayed back onto the biogenic material. The excess percolation fluid enters a buffer and is from there into the biogas reactor and fermented to biogas. The cleaned percolation liquid is transferred as wastewater to a storage buffer and from there returned to the percolator. A liquid substrate fermentation (the substrate is diluted to be pumpable) is not intended.
The German patent application DE 10 2013 107 621 A1 discloses a central, modular pumping and shredding unit. The modular pump and shredding unit is part of a biogas plant, which has several reaction and/or storage containers that are connected to one another via fluid pipes, as well as conveying devices or pumps. The pump and shredding unit can also be installed in a receptacle, for example in a container or the like.
The German utility model DE 20 2005 012 340 U1 discloses a biogas plant and a module for a biogas plant. The biogas plant includes at least one fermenter and modules that accommodate technical parts of the plant. Technical parts of the system are in particular the control and control technology, pump technology and at least one block-type thermal power station. The modules as an enclosure or housing and the receptacles, receiving the technical units, are prefabricated garages, which are designed accordingly to accommodate the modules. The individual modules are not intended to be stackable.
The German utility model DE 20 2010 000 437 U1 discloses a transportable, modular biogas plant with a connected fermenter space. The fermenter space is formed of at least two, on their front sides connectable or connected with each other, transportable fermenter modules. Each fermenter modules is formed with a substantially flat base area. The fermenter modules have an essentially rectangular cross section.
The German patent application DE 10 2004 062 993 A1 discloses a biogas plant with at least one fixedly mounted fermenter and at least one mobile container unit. The container unit comprises at least two rooms separated from one another by a wall. A technical unit is installed in the space of the container unit adjacent to the fermenter. A device for the use of biogas is mounted in a room facing away from the fermenter. No mobile biogas plant is disclosed here, only a mobility of the technical unit is provided, which is housed in a container unit.
In the prior art, a distinction is essentially made between a multi-stage biogas plant and a conventional, single-stage biogas plant. All of these types of biogas plants are permanently installed at the place of their construction and can therefore no longer be moved. Only individual parts, such as technical units, can be accommodated in containers and are therefore easy to transport. The advantage of a multi-stage biogas plant is that it is up to 30% more effective than a conventional, single-stage biogas plant. On top of that the multi-stage biogas plants can be fed with all types of digestible biomass. The digestibility of the biomass or the organic substances that can be fed into a biogas plant essentially depends on the microorganisms that are present in the biogas plant. In return, the single-stage biogas plants require a simplified, standardized substrate, such as corn or grass silage with constant nutritional values for the microorganisms. The digestion of biomass waste, such as fibrous and cellulose-containing substances is difficult, if not impossible, in single-stage biogas plants.
The invention is based on the object of creating a modular biogas plant that is easy to set up, easy to transport, expandable, set up operational at a different installation location at any time and can be designed cost-effectively.
This object is achieved by a modular biogas plant which has a plurality of modules. A plurality of tanks, for receiving biomass, define a portion of the plurality of modules, The tanks of the modular biogas plant comprise at least two hydrolysis tanks and at least one fermenter tank and being fluidly connected to one another. At least one gas storage for the biogas generated in the at least one fermenter tank of the modular biogas plant is provided as well. A plurality of positioning elements is at least provided to the tanks, wherein the positioning elements define six side surfaces which form an envelope for each tank.
Another object of the invention is to create a method for operating a modular biogas plant which can process a large number of different types of biomass and thereby has a higher efficiency in the production of biogas and in the breakdown of organic substances.
The method utilizes a modular biogas plant which comprise at least a plurality of tanks for receiving biomass. At least two of the tanks are configured as hydrolysis tanks and at least one tank is configured as a fermenter tank. At least one gas storage for the biogas generated in the modular biogas plant is provided as well.
The method comprises the steps:
batch-wise filling of the hydrolysis tanks with biomass, wherein a first temperature range and a first pH range are predominating in the hydrolysis tanks;
transferring the biomass from the at least one hydrolysis tank to the at least one fermenter tank by means of a pump;
producing in the at least one fermenter tank biogas from the biomass, transferred from the at least one hydrolysis tank to the at least one fermenter tank, wherein the formation takes place at a second temperature range and a second pH range in the at least one fermenter tank; and
monitoring continuously a production rate of the biogas and if the production rate of the biogas in the at least one of the fermenter tanks falls below a predefined value, biomass is supplied from one of the hydrolysis tanks until the production rate is again above the predefined value.
Another object of the invention is to create a system for computer-aided, centralized monitoring and control of at least one modular biogas plant, which enables largely automated monitoring and control of the plurality of installed modular biogas plants and thereby optimizes the operation of each the modular biogas plants in order to optimize the efficiency of the generation of biogas in the individual modular biogas plants.
This object is achieved by a system for computer-aided, centralized monitoring and control. The system comprises several modular biogas plants, wherein each modular biogas plant has at least two hydrolysis tanks, at least one fermenter tank, at least one pressure less gas storage tank and several housings. At least one data acquisition unit is assigned to several individual and movable modules of each of the modular biogas plants. Each of the modules has at least one actuator and/or at least one sensor and/or at least one measuring point, which are communicatively connected to the least one data acquisition unit. A communication device which is assigned to each of the modular biogas plants and delivers data from the data acquisition unit to a cloud or receives data from the cloud. A central control and monitoring unit is communicatively connected to the cloud in order to monitor the modular biogas plants in a centralized manner and to control them automatically. A user interface is assigned to each of the modular biogas plants to which messages or warnings can be transmitted from the central control and monitoring unit.
The modular biogas plant is characterized by a plurality of tanks that are designed to hold biomass. The large number of tanks can be fluidly connected to one another, so that biomass can be exchanged or pumped between the individual tanks. The biomass can be freely distributed between the tanks. The individual tanks can also be used as required. For example, tanks for hydrolysis can be used as fermentation tanks and vice versa. Furthermore, at least one gas storage reservoir is provided, which is suitable for accepting the biogas generated by the modular biogas plant. Each of the tanks of the modular biogas plant forms a module of the biogas plant. Several positioning elements are provided per tank. The positioning elements are attached to the tank in such a way that they define a cuboid frame. The cuboid frame defines six side surfaces that form an envelope for the tank. Preferred, the installation of the tanks of the modular biogas plant at the installation site is essentially the same, which results in a significant cost savings and a reduction in the number of parts. For the fixation of the tanks or modules of the modular biogas plant, several anchoring elements can be provided in the floor of the installation site, which with the positioning elements cooperate. This means that the tanks and modules are safely positioned at the site of the biogas plant. The modules of the modular biogas plant can also be easily picked up and relocated to another site. The mobile biogas plants can also be easily expanded or dismantled. The expansion or dismantling is based on the requirements placed of the mobile biogas plants. For example, modules for disinfection, separation (separation of solid and liquid components of the fermented biomass) and drying of the separated, solid components of the fermented biomass can be added.
The modular and variable set-up of the biogas plants saves resources, because once a biogas plant has been set up, it can be used at a different installation site at any time without any major construction work or it can be expanded, if required, or dismantled. Another advantage of the modular biogas plant is that it is mobile, compact, can run a multi-stage process and is highly efficient in the utilization of the biomass applied.
According to a further and advantageous embodiment, there are several positioning elements attached to a rigid cuboid frame. Here the six side surfaces of the rigid, cuboid frame define the envelope for the tank.
The envelope, which is formed by the positioning elements and the rigid, cuboid frame respectively, has the advantage that the possible connection elements or attachments for the tank are located within the envelope. This reduces or prevents damage to the connection elements or attachments during the transport of the tanks.
In one embodiment, the tanks themselves are made of a rigid and dimensionally stable material. According to the possible embodiment, the rigid and dimensionally stable tank can, as already mentioned above, preferably be surrounded by the rigid and cuboid frame. As material for the tanks an acid-resistant plastic, glass fiber reinforced plastic, stainless steel, wood or a laminate made of different materials are conceivable. At least the layer of the tank facing the biomass must be acid-resistant and alkali-resistant.
In another embodiment, the tank can be made from a flexible material. The tank is also positioned in the rigid frame, wherein the side surfaces of the rigid frame are preferably provided with a rigid, dimensionally stable covering, so that the filled tank remains within the outline of the module. According to this embodiment, the connections required for the tank are provided in the dimensionally stable covering at the rear end of the tank and/or front end of the tank.
In another embodiment, the modules of the modular biogas plant further comprise at least two lockable housings. Each of these lockable housings has the size of the cuboid frame. Each housing has a door or an access opening formed on at least one side surface. The remaining side surfaces of the frame have a cladding. Here, too, it is advantageous that the modules for the housings correspond in size to the modules for the tanks. This makes the transport of the elements of the modular biogas plant much easier and standardized, respectively.
According to a first embodiment of the modular biogas plant, a first housing contains a combined heat and power plant that uses the biogas generated in the modular biogas plant as an energy source. A second enclosure contains a control electronic for the entire modular biogas plant, at least one pump, at least one heating device, and a compressed air control for the generation and distribution of compressed air. The second housing preferably has a partition to separate the control electronics for the modular biogas plant from the pump and the heating device. A control room with visualization can also be formed in the room for the control electronics. The pump is used for the controlled transport of the biomass within the biogas plant. The heating device is used for the controlled temperature setting of the tanks of the modular biogas plant. The heating device can be fluidly connected to the corresponding tanks as required in order to set the temperature in the selected tank or tanks.
According to a second embodiment of the housing designed as a module, a first housing contains a combined heat and power plant which uses the biogas generated in the modular biogas plant as an energy source. A second housing is used to accommodate control electronics for the entire modular biogas plant. The second enclosure can be divided by a partition wall in a room with the control electronics and a control room with a visualization of the processes in the modular biogas plant. A third housing includes at least one pump that transports the biomass within the modular biogas plant between the individual tanks. Likewise, a heating device can also be provided in the third housing, which can be used for the controlled temperature setting of the tanks. Furthermore, a compressed air control can also be provided in the third housing.
According to a further embodiment, the at least one pump is connected to the tanks of the modular biogas plant via a pipe system. A controllable and adjustable valve is assigned to each of the tanks. With the controllable and adjustable valve, the biomass can thus be moved between different tanks. The control electronics or a central control and monitoring unit regulates the actuation of the corresponding valves so that the entire modular biogas plant works as effectively as possible and generates biogas. The heating device also has a pipe system that leads to the tanks. Here, too, a controllable and regulatable valve is assigned to each tank in order to enable the individual setting of a required temperature range of the biomass in the individual tanks.
According to a further embodiment, the tanks of the modular biogas plant comprise hydrolysis tanks and fermentation tanks. In this case, at least each of the tanks has at least one connection for a supply of biogas and a connection for a discharge of biogas. It goes without saying for a person skilled in the art that other combinations of connections and also the number of connections can vary. The configuration of the tanks described above is used for description purposes of the invention only and should not be interpreted as a restriction of the invention.
According to one embodiment, the inventive modular biogas plant has at least two hydrolysis tanks. Preferred, the hydrolysis tanks are filled using the BATCH process. For example, the first hydrolysis tank is first filled, and the hydrolysis process is started at a temperature which is selected from a first temperature range. The first temperature range preferably extends from 40° C. to 65° C. The pH range of the hydrolysis can be in the range from 2 to 9. After the first hydrolysis tank has been filled, the second hydrolysis tank is also filled using the BATCH process, so that the hydrolysis can also start there. Depending on the control, finished “hydrolyzate” (hydrolyzed biomass) is pumped or transferred from the first hydrolysis tank (the previously filled hydrolysis tank) into the fermenter tanks. The modular biogas plant according to the invention has the advantage that pump paths can be executed in a controlled manner. It can therefore be pumped to and from any tank of the modular biogas plant. The transfer to the fermenter tank is controlled, so that the rate biogas generation in the fermenter tank always remains substantially constant. By perfecting the biochemical process in the multi-stage biogas plant, about 99.5% or more of the possible biogas can be obtained from one ton of biomass used. Every single tank can be individually and differently temperature controlled. This has the advantage that the conditions for the hydrolysis and/or the fermentation in the tanks can be set and adjusted differently.
According to a further possible embodiment, the modular biogas plant can also be assigned a fermentation residue storage. The fermentation residue storage is used to collect the fermented biomass residues from the fermenter tank or the fermenter tanks of the modular biogas plant. Where applicable, a secondary fermentation can take place in the fermentation residue storage, so that biogas produced in the fermentation residue storage can also be used for further purposes. Generally, the biogas plant according to the invention does not need the fermentation residue storage, since the biogas plant according to the invention ensures an essentially complete fermentation of the biomass in the fermenter tanks. In the event that a fermentation residue storage facility is planned, it will be possible to transfer the fermented biomass residues from the fermenter tanks to the fermentation residue storage. It is therefore necessary that the fermentation residue storage is fluidly connected with the fermenter tanks. The fermentation residue or the fermentation residue storages can also be designed as transportable modules, which have the form of tanks. According to another embodiment, the fermentation residue storage can also be permanently installed at the installation site of the modular biogas plant.
According to a further possible embodiment of the invention, the modular biogas plant can be provided with a pressure less gas storage. In biogas plants, the biogas is usually stored in pressure less or low-pressure storage tanks in a range of 0.05 to 50 mbar overpressure. The pressure less gas storage of the biogas plant according to the invention is formed by a movable foil membrane that meets the corresponding safety requirements for gas storage. The pressure less gas storage tank is used to take in biogas from the modular biogas plant and if necessary, for taking in biogas from an existing fermentation residue storage. Additionally, the pressure less gas storage tank is used for the delivery of biogas to the block-type thermal power plant and for returning biogas to the tanks. To achieve this, an appropriate gas pipe system is required.
According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the pressure less gas storage is made of a flexible material and for the transport of the individual modules it is housed in a transport housing with a cladding. After the module with the flexible pressure less gas storage tank has been installed, it can be rolled out at the installation site. To do this, the module (transport housing) is opened accordingly. At one end, the gas storage tank is still connected to a cladding of the transport housing. The cladding of the transport housing has appropriate connections, so that a simple and quick connection of the gas system to the pressure less gas storage can be achieved at the installation site.
According to one embodiment and due to legal regulations in Germany, there is the requirement that the fermentation residue storage needs to be connected to the pressure less gas storage for supplying biogas from the fermentation residue storage to the pressure less gas storage, if any. This has the advantage that further fermentation of the biomass transferred from the fermenter tanks to fermentation residue storage, may take place in the fermentation residue storage and additional biogas generated in the fermentation residue storage. Another use of the biogas generated in the fermentation residue storage is possible.
The high modularity of the inventive modular biogas plant has the advantage that it can be set up quickly at the installation site, since a large part or at least most of the elements of the modular biogas plant are already prefabricated and “ready to use”. The pipes required to connect the individual modules of the biogas plant are also delivered in a module at the installation site. Thus all or at least most of the pipe connections between the individual modules are prefabricated, so that the assembly of the modular biogas system at the installation site can be carried out quickly and in a defined manner. Another advantage is that all modules are of the same size, which ultimately makes transport and logistics much easier. The reduction in the variety of parts and the standardization thus lead to a reduction in costs in the production of the biogas plant. The possibility of the flexible arrangement and the stackability of the modules of the modular biogas plant lead to q reduced footprint and an optimized use of space.
The inventive method is used to operate a modular biogas plant. In particular, the modular biogas plants are configured for a power range up to 500 kWh. It goes without saying for a person skilled in the art that the performance range specified should not be considered as a limitation of the invention. Most of the installed biogas plants will preferably have an output range of 10 to 500 kWh. Depending on customer requirements, power ranges above 500 kWh can also be implemented. The modular biogas plant comprises at least a plurality of tanks for receiving biomass. There are at least two tanks which represent hydrolysis tanks. At least one other tank is a fermenter tank. Furthermore, at least one gas storage tank is provided for the biogas generated by the modular biogas plant. First, the hydrolysis tanks are filled batch-wise with biomass. A temperature from a first temperature range is set in the hydrolysis tanks. During hydrolysis, the pH value is in the Hydrolysis tanks within a pre-defined pH range. Filling the hydrolysis tanks batch-wise means that a tank is almost filled completely, depending on a specified time interval. For example, the predetermined time interval can be one day, so that the same hydrolysis tank is filled every second day. The biomass for filling the hydrolysis tanks can include, for example and without limiting the invention, chicken manure, duck manure, grass silage, corn silage, straw, food waste, slaughterhouse waste, and much more. In principle fats, proteins and carbohydrates can be used as biomass in the modular biogas plant. In general, the inventive biogas plant can process or digest everything that contains fats, oils, fatty acids, lipids, oil-like substances, proteins, starches, sugar, cellulose, hemicellulose, chitin and similar hydrocarbons. Hydrolysis and acidification take place in the hydrolysis tank. The hydrolysis and the acidification both take place in the first temperature range and in the first pH range. During hydrolysis, fatty acids, amino acids and alcohols are built up. During acidification, volatile fatty acids and alcohols are built up.
In a further step of the process according to the invention, biogas is produced in at least one fermenter tank, wherein the biomass is transferred from the hydrolysis tanks to the at least one fermenter tank. The production of biogas takes place in a second temperature range, such as from 35 to 60° C. and at a second pH range, such as from 6.5 to 8.5, instead. The fermentation in the fermenter tanks is also divided into acetic acid formation (acidification) and methanation. During acetification, Acetic acid, carbon dioxide and hydrogen are build up. During methanation, methane and carbon dioxide are built up, wherein methane for example having a proportion of 55% to 75%. It goes without saying for a person skilled in the art that the methane content mentioned above is not intended to constitute a limitation of the invention.
In order to keep the production process of biogas of the modular biogas plant effective, the production rate of the biogas of the modular biogas plant is continuously monitored. In the event that in one of the fermenter tanks the production rate falls below a predefined value, biomass is supplied from one of the hydrolysis tanks until the production rate is above the predefined value again. This has the advantage that the production of biogas of the modular biogas plant takes place effectively, so that the yield of the biogas from the modular biogas plant is always at a high level and maximum organic degradation of the fed biomass takes place.
In one embodiment, at least controllable valves are assigned to the hydrolysis tanks and the fermenter tanks. The hydrolysis tanks and the fermenter tanks are connected via pipes. At least one pump is provide so that the hydrolysis tanks and/or the fermenter tanks can be connected in any combination and that biomass the hydrolysis tanks and/or the fermenter tanks can optionally be supplied or optionally discharged from form the respective tanks.
According to one embodiment, the hydrolysis tanks and the fermenter tanks are each provided with an inlet and outlet for heating fluid. A controllable valve is provided for each inlet and outlet, so that the heating fluid can be fed to the hydrolysis tanks and/or the fermenter tanks in a controlled manner with at least one heating fluid pump. It can thereby be achieved in each case that the temperature in the hydrolysis tanks or fermenter tanks is kept in the temperature range required for the hydrolysis or fermentation at the required temperature level.
According to a further embodiment of the method according to the invention, at least one fermentation residue storage is provided. This at least one fermentation residue storage has also a controllable valve in a pipe to the least one fermentation residue storage. With the controllable valve it is thus possible that controlled from at least one of the fermenter tanks biomass can be fed for a possible secondary fermentation to the at least one fermentation residue storage. The at least one fermentation residue storage facility can also be provided with a gas pipe to the gas storage tank in order to remove any biogas, that may arise from the fermentation residue storage, to the gas storage tank.
According to a further embodiment, at least biogas from the at least one fermenter tank is fed to the gas storage tank without pressure or at low pressure.
According to a further embodiment, the biogas is taken from the gas storage tank in a controlled manner and fed it to a block-type thermal power plat to generate energy from the biogas provided by a module of the biogas plant. It is also possible to compress the biogas from the gas storage tank with a compressor so that the compressed biogas can be blown in a at least controlled manner into a fermenter tank filled with the biomass. By blowing biogas into the biomass of the fermenter tanks mix the biomass and thus improve the production of biogas, which leads to an improvement in the quality of the biogas (possible increase in the CH4 content and reduction in the CO2 and H2S content).
With the inventive method and its application in the modular biogas plant, a large number of organic waste or energy crops can be processed. As energy plants can be processed with the inventive biogas plant, for example, but without limiting the invention, corn or corn silage, Sudan grass, corn on the cob, grass, clover, rye, sugar beet, wheat, potatoes, etc. In the event that the modular biogas plant also has a module for separating and a module for drying the fermented biomass, the dried biomass can, for example, be used to obtain raw materials from the fermented residues of the biomass. Likewise, with the inventive modular biogas plant, agricultural organic waste, such as, but without limiting the invention, liquid cattle manure, liquid pig manure, duck manure layers, bird manure, horse manure, cereal products, straw, waste from the olive harvest (olive pits), vinasse, sugar cane, corn stalks, etc. are processed. Likewise, with the modular biogas plant according to the invention, industrial biowaste (industrial by-products, organic waste and biowaste), such as, but without limiting the invention, an overproduction of beer, bread, muesli bars, vegetables, fruits, as well as animal meal, blood (slaughterhouse waste), carcass meal, fruit waste, Chinese cabbage, whey, ice cream, milk waste, etc. are processed. In addition, any other organic waste or biowaste, such as that generated in kitchens or restaurants, can be processed with the modular biogas plant.
The invention also enables a system for computer-aided, centralized monitoring and control of at least one biogas plant. The inventive system according to the computer-aided, centralized monitoring and control can advantageously be applied to biogas plants in a wide range of performance. The system comprises several modular biogas plants, whereby each of the modular biogas plants comprise several individual movable modules. At least one actuator and/or one sensor and/or one measuring point is assigned to each of the modules. The actuators and/or sensors and/or measuring points are communicatively connected to at least one data acquisition unit. Furthermore, a communication device is assigned to each of the modular biogas plants. Via the communication device, the data of the data acquisition unit can be delivered to a cloud or data or signals can be received from the cloud and used for control of the modular biogas plants by the data acquisition unit. A central control and monitoring unit is communicatively connected to the cloud and is used for centralized monitoring and automatic control of the modular biogas plants on site. Furthermore, each of the modular biogas plants has one assigned user interface. The user interface can be remotely controlled from the central control and monitoring unit, and messages or warnings can be sent to the local controller. The warnings or messages are marked colored for the user or the operator of the respective local modular biogas plant in order to alert him to or to point out necessary actions. The messages and warnings sent out by the central control and monitoring unit to enable the user to intervene immediately with the respective modular biogas plant in order to rectify possible errors in advance. This has the advantage that the modular biogas plant concerned can work continuously and downtimes can be largely avoided. In this embodiment, the data acquisition unit is communicatively connected to at least one controller.
Condition-based maintenance (CBM), for example, can also be implemented through the central control and monitoring unit. The CBM functions of remote maintenance and trend analyzes allow the user of the modular biogas plant to be informed of possible errors or failures at an early stage.
According to a further embodiment of the invention, an intelligent head station is assigned to each module of the modular biogas plant. The intelligent head station comprises a data acquisition unit with the communication device. The parameters of the respective module of the modular biogas plant are stored in the intelligent head station. The intelligent head station can therefore also take over the control of the respective module. The intelligent head stations of the modular biogas plant are communicatively connected to each other and to the cloud. The control for the modules is implemented in the cloud.
In one embodiment, the plurality of modules of the modular biogas plants comprise at least two hydrolysis tanks and several fermenter tanks. A pressure less gas storage tank is also provided, which takes up the biogas at least from the fermenter tanks. In addition, several modules are designed as housings in which, for example, but without limiting the invention, corresponding elements for the control electronics and the operation of the modular biogas plants are accommodated.
In one embodiment, a block-type thermal power plant is provided in a first housing, which can be operated via the central control and monitoring unit. With the block-type thermal power plant, the biogas generated, can be used in the modular biogas plants as an energy source.
In one embodiment, control electronics for the modular biogas plants are housed in a second housing. The control electronics are connected to the individual actuators, sensors, etc. or the head stations of the individual modules of the modular biogas systems. The control electronics or the head-end stations generate control signals and collect data.
In one embodiment, a third housing contains at least one pump which, controlled via the central control and monitoring unit, manages the transport of the biomass within the respective modular biogas plant. Likewise, at least one heating device is provided in the third housing which, controlled by the central control and monitoring unit, maintains the temperature in the tanks of the modular biogas plant at least within a predetermined interval.
In one embodiment of the system according to the invention, parameters of the multiple modular biogas plants are compared in the central control and monitoring unit. Optimization criteria for the production of biomass in the individual modular biogas plants of the system can be obtained from the comparison. This has the advantage that the production process of biogas in the individual modular biogas plants can be optimized due to the statistics or the overview of several modular biogas plants through the central control and monitoring unit. This leads to a continuous improvement in the control of the process flows and consequently also to an optimized yield of biogas production from the respective biomass available in the production process.
The inventive system for the central monitoring and control of several modular biogas plants is characterized in that each of the modular biogas plants have a local data acquisition unit. According to another embodiment of the system, each module of the modular biogas plant can have its own (intelligent) head station. The intelligent head-end stations are also able to communicate with the central control and monitoring unit. The intelligent head stations, if available, take on smaller control tasks and safety functions. Each module has its own function profile (parameters etc.) stored in the associated head stations and can therefore operate almost independently.
Several of the modular biogas plants (regardless of their design) can be controlled, monitored and managed via the central control and monitoring unit. The advantage of central monitoring and control is that the software that controls the processes provides protection for the modular biogas plant, which ultimately leads to increased local security and availability of the biogas plants. Likewise one achieves thereby an optimization of the performance of the individual modular biogas plants, which can be achieved through a global benchmark and improvements in the logical control. In addition, the optimization of the performance of the individual modular biogas plants is also achieved through a trend analysis and, if necessary, corrective intervention on the part of the central control and monitoring unit. The central control and monitoring also leads to cost optimization and simplification with regard to predictive maintenance, the management of the local operator of the respective modular biogas plant and the scheduling with regard to repairs or replacement of components of the modular biogas plants.
Furthermore, the modular biogas plant according to the invention stands out by the fact that it has a simple construction, which saves time and money. All parts for the construction of a single modular biogas plant are already prefabricated and can be used immediately for assembly on the installation site. All necessary tools for setting up the biogas plant are also included in the scope of delivery. The construction and construction are accompanied on site by an expert.
In the following, exemplary embodiments are intended to explain the invention and its advantages in more detail with reference to the accompanying figures. The proportions in the figures do not always correspond to the real proportions, since some shapes are simplified and other shapes are shown enlarged in relation to other elements for better illustration, in which:
At the outset, it should be appreciated that like drawing numbers on different drawing views identify identical, or functionally similar, structural elements of the invention. It is to be understood that the invention as claimed is not limited to the disclosed aspects. Furthermore, for the sake of clarity, only reference symbols are shown in the individual figures which are necessary for the description of the respective figure.
It goes without saying for a person skilled in the art that the embodiments of the modular biogas plant 100 shown in
As can be seen from
At the rear end 10H of the tank 10 an inspection glass 16 and a filling level probe 15 are provided. The maximum filling of the tank 10 can be censored via the filling level probe 15. Likewise, a flange connection 13 is provided for a feed screw (not shown), with which biomass 3 can be brought into the respective tank 10. A pressure sensor 11 is also provided. The position and number of the sensor system is only one example of many possibilities and is not to be understood as a limitation of the invention.
The embodiment of a tank 10 for the modular biogas plant 100 described in
The invention has been described with reference to preferred embodiments. It goes without saying for a person skilled in the art that changes and modifications can be made without departing from the scope of protection of the following claims.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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102018121050.7 | Aug 2018 | DE | national |
The present application is filed under 35 U.S.C. §§ 111(a) and 365(c) as a continuation of International Patent Application No. PCT/IB2019/056790, filed on Aug. 9, 2019, which application claims priority from German Patent Application No. DE 10 2018 121 050.7, filed on Aug. 29, 2018, which applications are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | PCT/IB2019/056790 | Aug 2019 | US |
Child | 17186899 | US |