APPARATUS, SYSTEM, AND PROCESS FOR ANAEROBIC CONVERSION OF BIOMASS SLURRY TO ENERGY

摘要

An improved digester apparatus for converting wet carbonaceous biomass materials to biogas comprises a digestion unit operating at a controlled temperature and having a concentrator component and a pressure swing component each containing anaerobic bacteria; means for conveying slurried aqueous biomass from a biomass source to the concentrator component and for removing the biogas from the concentrator component; means for conveying concentrated aqueous biomass from the concentrator component to the pressure swing component and for conveying digested aqueous biomass from the pressure swing component to the concentrator component; means for removing waste solids from the pressure swing component; and a pressure swing pump for controlling the pressure within the pressure swing component in a cycle comprising a sub-atmospheric first pressure phase and a second pressure phase at or above atmospheric pressure. Included in the apparatus is a programmable computer provided with a database relating previously measured biomass-biogas conversion data for biomass materials of varying compositions to values for the first and second pressure phases. The computer operates to continuously monitor the pressure of biogas in the pressure swing component and adjust the cycle of the pressure swing pump to optimize biogas conversion of biomass from the biomass source.