Description

CARBONIZER AND CARBONIZATION SYSTEM HAVING THE

SAME

Technical Field

[1] The present invention relates to a carbonizer and a carbonization system having the same, and more particularly, to a carbonizer to carbonize a target object while transmitting heat supplied from a heat generator to another device such as a drying device, etc., and a carbonization system having the same. Background Art

[2] In the treatment of various wastes such as food waste, household waste, and sewage sludge, it was typical to bury the wastes in the ground. However, recently, with rising problems such as shortage of a filled-in ground and environmental pollution, etc., a variety of environmental technologies for treating wastes with other methods have been actively developed.

[3] As part of the development of environmental technologies, technologies for recycling wastes into fertilizers, animal feeds, soil, water conditioners, charcoal as fuel or carbonization gases, etc. have been recently developed and used.

[4] Most the above mentioned wastes are generally in the state of sludge and have a high moisture content. Therefore, to make these wastes into recycling materials, the wastes must be carbonized by use of a carbonizer after being first dried.

[5] Considering the transfer path of wastes based on the process flow of a conventional carbonization system, the wastes are treated in the following sequence: collection of wastes → temporary storage in a hopper → transfer in the state of sludge → crushing and sorting → input into a drier → transfer in the state of dried wastes → input into a carbonizer → storage, etc.

[6] In the above described conventional carbonization system, after the wastes in the state of sludge are dried in the drier, the dried wastes are inputted into the carbonizer, so as to be carbonized therein.

[7] Accordingly, the conventional carbonization system should first completely dry the wastes in the state of sludge and then, carbonize the dried wastes. This, however, requires a great amount of heat and results in enormous fuel costs. Moreover, when gasoline, etc. is used as a fuel, it tends to excessively aggravate the burden of fuel costs. For this reason, inventors of the present invention tried to solve the problem of enormous fuel costs by developing an apparatus for utilizing industrial or household wastes as a fuel, without using an expensive fuel such as gasoline, etc.

[8] FIG. 1 illustrates a heat generator as a heat supply device and a drier to dry wastes

upon receiving heat from the heat generator, which constitute a part of a conventional carbonization system developed by the inventors of the present invention.

[9] The conventional carbonization system shown in FIG. 1 includes a quantitative input device 101 to input wastes into a combustion chamber 103 by a fixed quantity, a combustor 102 installed below the combustion chamber 103 to burn the wastes fed from the quantitative input device 101, a re-combustion burner 104 to again burn exhaust gas burnt in the combustion chamber 103, a re-combustion chamber 105 into which flames from the re-combustion burner 104 are emitted, a drying drum 106 connected with an exit of the re-combustion chamber 105 and rotated in a tilted state, a crusher 110 to crush the wastes having a high moisture content fed thereinto and to supply the crushed wastes into the drying drum 106, an impeller 109 installed in the drying drum 106 and rotated while being coupled to a center shaft 108, and holding plates 107 installed at an inner periphery of the drying drum 106 and used to generate a falling shock.

[10] In the conventional system 100, various combustible wastes including industrial wastes such as polyethylene, polypropylene, waste synthetic resin, residual waste, and papers, household wastes, and the like, are delivered from the quantitative input device 101 into the combustor 102, so as to be burnt in the combustor 102. The resulting combustion gas is delivered from the combustion chamber 103 into the re-combustion chamber 105, so as to be repeatedly burnt. With the repetitive combustion of the combustion gas, the resulting gas has substantially no pollution-causing material. Thereafter, together with the repeatedly burnt and heated air, a wet object to be treated, which includes sewage sludge, residual wastes, etc. crushed by the crusher 110 and has a high moisture content, is inputted into the drying drum 106.

[11] Once being inputted into the drying drum 106, the object to be treated is raised by the holding plates 107 inside the drying drum 106. As the object falls from the highest position, it is again crushed by collisions with the impeller 109. As a result, the crushed debris are uniformly exposed to the high-temperature air, and can be efficiently dried.

[12] With the above described configuration, owing to combustion heat obtained by burning the combustible wastes and the high-temperature exhaust gas repeatedly burnt by the re-combustion burner and substantially having no risk of causing environmental pollution, the wastes having a high moisture content can be dried and crushed without the burden of enormous fuel costs, resulting in efficient treatment of the wastes.

[13] However, the above described prior art has the following problems.

[14] The conventional carbonization system utilizes heat generated from the heat generator only for drying the wastes, and the carbonizer used to carbonize the dried object for obtaining a final product is operated by burning a fuel. Therefore, the conventional carbonization system still has the burden of fuel costs.

[15] By carbonizing, the carbonized coal is used as deodorant and the carbonization gases are used as fuel.

[16] Further, since the conventional carbonization system includes a great number of constituent devices, it inevitably has a large scale and requires an excessive installation space. Moreover, the conventional carbonization system has an inefficient waste- transfer path because wastes should pass through a plurality of devices provided separately.

Disclosure of Invention Technical Problem

[17] An object of the present invention devised to solve the problem lies on a carbonization system, in which heat generated from a heat generator can be utilized not only in the carbonization of wastes, but also in another device such as a drier, etc., thereby achieving several advantages, for example, a considerable reduction in fuel costs, miniaturized overall facility, and more efficient production of carbides. Technical Solution

[18] The object of the present invention can be achieved by providing a carbonizer comprising: a vessel body to transmit heat supplied from a heat generator into another device; and a carbonizing vessel installed to penetrate through the vessel body and having one end to receive an object to be carbonized and the other end to discharge the carbonized object.

[19] Preferably, the vessel body is made to provide a secondary combustion chamber for secondarily burning a fuel that was primarily burnt in the heat generator.

[20] Here, the fuel preferably includes general industrial wastes. By repeatedly burning the industrial wastes in the heat generator and the vessel body, the wastes can be completely incinerated. Obtaining carbides using heat obtained by burning the wastes without using a fuel such as gasoline, kerosene, bunker C oil, or LNG gas is preferable in view of the recycling of resources.

[21] As a result that the wastes are completely burnt through the primary and secondary combustions, there occur substantially no harmful gases such as dioxin, etc. that are generally caused upon incineration of wastes. Such a complete combustion of the wastes, furthermore, remains no residue.

[22] The wastes preferably include PE, PP, RPF, RDF, waste vinyl, etc.

[23] Preferably, the vessel body is connected with a drying device as the above mentioned another device, to transmit heat to the drying device. After the object is dried in the drying device, the object is inputted into the carbonizing vessel, so as to be carbonized therein.

Advantageous Effects

[24] As apparent from the above description, a carbonizer and a carbonization system according to the present invention have the following effects.

[25] Firstly, the carbonizer according to the present invention can carbonize a target object while transmitting heat supplied from a heat generator into another device. As a result, a fuel can be primarily burnt in the heat generator and then, be secondarily burnt in the carbonizer, whereby the object can be carbonized by completely burning of the fuel. Here, when industrial wastes are used as the fuel, the carbonizer can also serve as an incinerator for the industrial wastes, in addition to carbonizing the industrial wastes.

[26] Further, the carbonization system according to the present invention has an overall compact configuration, and can efficiently utilize the heat generated from the heat generator for the carbonizer as well as a drying device. Brief Description of the Drawings

[27] The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the invention, illustrate embodiments of the invention and together with the description serve to explain the principle of the invention.

[28] In the drawings:

[29] FIG. 1 illustrates a part of a conventional carbonization system.

[30] FIG. 2 illustrates a preferred embodiment of a carbonization system according to the present invention; and

[31] FIG. 3 illustrates a preferred embodiment of a carbonizer according to the present invention. Mode for the Invention

[32] Reference will now be made in detail to a preferred embodiment of a carbonizer and a carbonization system according to the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

[33] The carbonizer according to the present invention can replace the re-combustion chamber 105 of the previously described conventional carbonization system shown in FIG. 1. Accordingly, after wastes corresponding to a fuel are primarily burnt in the combustion chamber 103, the wastes are secondarily burnt in the re-combustion chamber 105. Also, a carbonizing vessel can be installed in the re-combustion chamber 105. In the present invention, the re-combustion chamber 105 serves as a vessel body, and the carbonizing vessel is installed within the vessel body.

[34] The vessel body, similar to the carbonization system as shown in FIG. 1, may include the re-combustion burner( subsidiary fuel: carbonization gases) 104 to emit flames into the re-combustion chamber 105.

[35] In the present invention, a heat generator may be realized by a part of a horizontal waste incinerator disclosed in Korean Registered Patent No. 10-0613436. Specifically,

a combustion tank of the above incinerator is formed of a vessel body, and a combustion vessel may be penetrated through the combustion tank. Note that the incinerator disclosed in the above Korean Registered Patent No. 10-0613436 is incorporated herein, although a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[36] The carbonizing vessel is preferably installed to penetrate vertically through the vessel body. More preferably, the carbonizing vessel is penetrated from the top to the bottom of the vessel body.

[37] The carbonizing vessel receives a transfer device to transfer an object to be carbonized. The transfer device is controlled by a controller, to adjust a transfer speed of the object to be carbonized. Preferably, the transfer device includes a screw installed in the carbonizing vessel to transfer the object to be carbonized, and a motor to rotate the screw.

[38] By adjusting the transfer speed of the object to be carbonized, it is possible to adjust the production rate of carbides, and consequently, to adjust the carbonizing degree of the carbides.

[39] Preferably, a humidity sensor is provided at an exit of the carbonizing vessel, to sense a humidity of the object. The controller controls the transfer device to adjust the transfer speed of the transfer device according to the humidity.

[40] By adjusting the transfer speed of the object to be carbonized such that the humidity sensed by the humidity sensor reaches a predetermined value, the object can be carbonized up to an appropriate degree.

[41] Preferably, the carbonizing vessel has a double structure including an inner vessel and an outer vessel. Also, an air fan is provided to forcibly introduce or discharge air into or out of a gap between the inner vessel and the outer vessel.

[42] If the carbonizing vessel has a singe wall structure, excessive heat is directly applied to the object to be carbonized, thereby causing the surface of the object to be carbonized excessively.

[43] Preferably, a temperature sensor is provided to sense a temperature of air between the inner vessel and the outer vessel. The rotating speed of the air fan is adjusted according to the temperature of the air.

[44] Preferably, the rotating speed of the air fan is adjusted such that the temperature of the air becomes about 400 ⁰ C.

[45] The carbonization system according to the present invention includes the above described carbonizer. The carbonization system further includes a heat generator to generate heat, a drying device to dry an object, and the carbonizer to carbonize the dried object. As described above, the carbonizer includes the vessel body, and the carbonizing vessel penetrated through the vessel body.

[46] Preferably, the vessel body transmits heat supplied from the heat generator into the

drying device. The vessel body contains heated air, such that the object received in the carbonizing vessel is carbonized by the heated air.

[47] Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of the present invention as shown in the accompanying drawings will be described in more detail.

[48] First, FIG. 2 illustrates a part of the carbonization system according to the present invention.

[49] A heat generator 200 is connected to one side of a carbonizer 400, such that heat generated from the heat generator 200 is supplied into the carbonizer 400.

[50] A fuel used in the heat generator 200 includes industrial wastes including PP, PE,

RPF, RDF waste vinyl, etc.

[51] The heat generator 200, may be configured as shown in FIG. 1. That is, the heat generator 200 includes a combustor installed below a combustion chamber in order to burn wastes supplied from a quantitative input device that is used to input the wastes into the combustion chamber by a fixed quantity.

[52] The combustion chamber of the heat generator 200 communicates with a vessel body

410 of the carbonizer 400.

[53] In the combustion chamber of the heat generator 200, flames rise while being swirled spirally, thereby being introduced into a vessel body 410. In this case, combustion gas is also introduced into the vessel body 410 and is secondarily burnt within the vessel body 410. To facilitate the secondary combustion of the gas, the re-combustion burner 104 as shown in FIG. 1 may be additionally provided.

[54] More preferably, the heat generator 200 is realized by a part of the previously described horizontal waste incinerator disclosed in Korean Registered Patent No. 10-0613436.

[55] The vessel body 410 of the carbonizer 400 provides not only a secondary combustion chamber, but also a space for carbonizing a target object being transferred within a carbonizing vessel. Since the vessel body 410 is connected with a drier, heated air in the vessel body 410 is delivered into a drying device 300, and can be utilized as a heating source for drying the object.

[56] The object dried by the drying device 300 is transferred into the carbonizer 400, so as to be carbonized in the carbonizer 400.

[57] As described above, since the combustion tank or re-combustion chamber of the conventional carbonization system for use in the secondary combustion of wastes can be replaced by the carbonizer 400, the overall carbonization system according to the present invention has a compact configuration.

[58] FIG. 3 illustrates the carbonizer 400 shown in FIG. 2 in more detail. The flames and combustion gas are introduced from the heat generator 200 into one side of the vessel body 410. The combustion gas is continuously burnt in the vessel body 410.

[59] The carbonizing vessel is vertically penetrated through the vessel body 410. The carbonizing vessel has a double structure including an outer vessel 420 and an inner vessel 421. Preferably, the secondary combustion performed within the vessel body 410 is performed at about 85O ⁰ C suitable to remove harmful gases such as dioxin, etc. Here, if the carbonizing vessel has a single wall structure, the object to be carbonized is exposed at an excessively high temperature, and may fail to be carbonized up to an appropriate degree.

[60] An air fan 440 is provided above the carbonizing vessel and is rotated to forcibly introduce or discharge air into or out of a gap between the inner vessel 421 and the outer vessel 420. As the air fan 440 is rotated, the air is introduced into the outer vessel 420 through an air inlet perforated in the bottom of the outer vessel 420, and then, is discharged to the outside through the top of the carbonizing vessel.

[61] The temperature sensor 441 is installed to measure the temperature of air discharged from the air fan 440.

[62] A controller 450 adjusts the rotating speed of the air fan 440 according to a temperature of the air measured by the temperature sensor 441. Here, the air fan 440 is controlled such that the interior temperature of the carbonizing vessel is kept at about 400 ⁰ C. Thereby, the object can be carbonized at about 400 ⁰ C.

[63] A screw 430 is located in the inner vessel 421, and is rotated by a motor 431. The object to be carbonized is introduced into the carbonizing vessel through the top of the carbonizing vessel, and is transferred downward by the screw 430.

[64] The controller 450 controls a rotating speed of the motor 431, thereby controlling a transfer speed of the object to be carbonized. In this case, a humidity sensor 442 is provided at an exit of the carbonizing vessel. The controller 451 controls the rotating speed of the motor 431 according to the humidity measured by the humidity sensor 442.

[65] After sewage sludge, food waste, etc. are dried by the drying device 300 to have a moisture content of up to 25%, the dried wastes are carbonized by the carbonizer 400 until they have a moisture content of around 5%. The resulting carbonized wastes can be used as a substitute for a compost, soil conditioner, etc.

[66] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the present invention without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Thus, it is intended that the present invention cover the modifications and variations of this invention provided they come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.