ES2368046A1 - Installation for combusting fats and/or oils of plant and/or animal origin in an i.c. engine - Google Patents

Abstract

The installation comprises a heated chamber 1 for storing in the liquid state the products to be exploited, an internal combustion engine 2 and a heated circuit 3 for circulating the products to be exploited between the storage chamber 1 and the engine 2. The circuit 3 comprising a main intake 4 connected to the storage chamber 1, and at least one auxiliary intake, eg 5,6, for feeding in water and alcohol and/or alcohol derivative. A further auxiliary intake 7 may also be provided for feeding in a surface active agent. The liquids are pumped to a static mixer 26 in the form of a vertically oriented conduit having internal stationary recessed or projecting blades or fins. The static mixer 26 is arranged in series with a collection and dynamic mixing reservoir 8 for the combustible emulsion originating from the static mixer 26, the reservoir 8 comprising a storage tank 9 with at least one moving device 10, eg a rotating bladed shaft, for agitating the contents. The reservoir 8, which is interposed between the outlet of the static mixer 26 and the intake 16 for feeding fuel to the engine 2, forms a buffer volume which is capable of levelling out variations in the fuel consumption of the engine.

Description

Installation of fat recovery and / or oils of vegetable and / or animal origin.

The present invention relates to a installation of recovery of fats and / or oils of origin Vegetable or animal

Numerous industries, in particular the agrifood industries produce, in the course of their activity, fats and / or oils of animal or vegetable origin qualified as waste from which they must be disposed of. This is the case for example, slaughterhouses or industrial deli. For a long time, this waste or animal waste has been used to manufacture the food of these animals. This practice is now prohibited. Fats or oils, known because of their aptitude for combustion, they have led industrialists to use these products as fuel in boilers. The combustion allows to eliminate these byproducts producing heat. However, a clean combustion needs the addition of products expensive. In addition, the thermal energy produced by valuing the all the fats of an agrifood industrial surpass frequently the real needs of what are problems of dimensioning or resale of energy. The other ways used industrial are the methanization that values the fatty wastes as combustible gas but does not eliminate its co-products since the substrate obtained must then be spread. Finally, biodigestion is an elimination solution for fatty waste but does not value this waste. While the way of use of fats or oils as fuel, in particular as a liquid fuel, appropriate to replace diesel, it has not been widely used, it is in particular because the properties rheological (viscosity, pour point, etc.) of the fats or oils make its direct use impossible in a diesel engine. Indeed, numerous studies have shown that the combustion of pure animal fat, even of short duration, causes serious Engine fouling that can lead to its damaged.

To get rid of the bad predispositions of animal fats to replace diesel, a chemical route has been proposed that uses a process of transformation of fats into biodiesel by transesterification of fatty acids. This chemical route, although it provides good results, is very expensive due to the necessary equipment and excludes any possibility of an on-site installation, that is, at the place of production of the waste due to its price. Physical pathways provide acceptable results. These physical pathways consist in the dilution of fats by a fraction of diesel fuel and in the emulsion of the product obtained by a fraction of water.

Another technique is to emulsify fats. in the presence of water and alcohol. These techniques allow to obtain a fuel without adding complex synthesis products and without No complex chemical reaction. Currently, the production of a fuel of this type has been developed in the laboratory using complex solutions with the help of mixers dynamic

An objective of the present invention is to both propose an installation of the aforementioned type whose conception allows both elimination and recovery, in particular energy, fats and / or oils to be valued.

Another objective of the invention is to propose an extremely simple design installation that allows an in situ recovery, that is to say in the place of production of the fats and / or oils to be recovered, this recovery can be carried out online and continuously.

To this end, the invention aims at a installation of recovery of fats and / or oils of origin plant and / or animal, said installation comprising at least one liquid storage enclosure of fats and / or oils a valorize, an internal combustion engine and a circuit of circulation of fats and / or oils to be recovered between the enclosure of storage and the motor, said circuit comprising at least in addition to a main fluid inlet connected to the enclosure of storage, at least one auxiliary fluid inlet for the feeding at least with water and with alcohol and / or derived from alcohol of said circuit, at least one powered mixer, by pumping, with fluids from said circuit inputs, this mixer being, suitable for forming from the components introduced into said circuit an emulsion of the type water in oil that can be used as a liquid fuel, arranged in series with at least one collection deposit of the fuel emulsion, forming this deposit, interposed between the static mixer output and power input with engine fuel, an appropriate buffer volume to alleviate engine fuel consumption variations, characterized because the storage enclosure and the circulation circuit of the fats and / or oils to be recovered between the storage area and the engine are equipped with heating means arranged respectively outside the storage enclosure and in the outside of the circuit, because the mixer, arranged current above the collection tank, is a static mixer that adopts the shape of a vertically oriented duct with his or her feed inlet (s) with fluid located in a level higher than his or her fluid evacuation outlet (s), this duct being internally provided with hollow parts or in highlight blades or stationary fins that ensure a mixture of the content of the duct in the course of its axial displacement in the inside of said duct and because the collection tank is constituted by a storage tank of the fuel emulsion internally provided with at least one mobile agitation organ of the contents of the tank.

The use of a static mixer allows obtaining an emulsion online at a lower cost from greases and / or oils circulating in said installation.

The use of a static mixer allows also a continuous production of liquid fuel that can be used as an engine fuel integrated in said installation. Also, the presence of a collection deposit that forms a buffer volume and located downstream of the mixer static, on the circulation circuit of fats and / or oils to be valued, between the storage enclosure and the engine, allows a continuous adaptation to fuel consumption variations the motor. Indeed, it is known that the engine, depending on its load, consume more or less fuel. Thanks to the presence of collection tank that forms a buffer volume, it is possible, regardless of engine consumption level, feed from Optimally the latter.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the installation is equipped with means that condition the operation of the fluid feed pump (s) from the static mixer to the filling level of the pick up

Thanks to the presence of these means of conditioned, the fluid supply pump (s) of the mixer only works when the collection tank does not reach its maximum fill level. Again, this provision allows to produce fuel almost continuously and ensure all the circumstances of a possibility of feeding with engine fuel without risk of overflow of said installation.

The invention will become more clearly from manifest upon reading the following description of realization examples, referring to the unique figure that it represents, in a simplified way, the constituent elements of the installation according to the invention.

As mentioned above, this invention refers to a grease recovery facility and / or of oils of vegetable and / or animal origin. While they may be provided for numerous industrial fields, the invention provides more particularly slaughterhouses that produce fatty co-products raw, the industrial deli that produce co-products cooked fats and, more generally, any industry agrifood that produces flotation fats. Evidently, although the invention is described below more particularly in the case of an application to animal fats, the invention can be applied analogously to oils of plant origin or An animal-vegetable oil fat mixture. If Accurate of raw slaughterhouse co-products, a fusion, that is to say crushing and cooking of the co-products, and a three-phase separation is applied to said product in order to dissociate from pure fats, proteins and water present in the waste. Only pure fats are used in the installation object of the invention.

With regard to cooking fats and flotation fats, fraction extraction can be performed fat directly by means of a procedure that allows a separation between liquid-liquid or liquid-solid These fats can therefore be animal fats constituted by the liquid phase resulting from liquid-solid separation at elevated temperature of agri-food waste from slaughterhouses. Every once, the previous treatments of these fats are aimed at remove water and solid impurities present in the waste. This pretreatment is necessary especially in the case of waste from slaughterhouses. Once the fraction is obtained fat from these wastes, the fats and / or oils to be recovered are stored in a storage enclosure 1 and maintained therein enclosure in liquid state. To this end, storage enclosure 1 it is equipped with heating means, such as a resistance, arranged outside the storage enclosure 1. These heating means allow reaching said enclosure 1 a temperature between 45 and 60 ° C.

In addition to storage space 1, the installation also includes an internal combustion engine 2 and a circuit 3 of circulation of fats and / or oils to be recovered between storage enclosure 1 and engine 2. This circuit 3 it comprises at least, in addition to a main fluid inlet 4 connected to storage enclosure 1 and that allows feeding of circuit 3 with fats and / or oils to be recovered, at least one auxiliary fluid inlet 5 for circuit feeding by at least with water and with alcohol and / or with alcohol derivative.

Circuit 3 of circulation of fats and / or oils to be valued can comprise one or more inputs auxiliary In fact, it can comprise either an auxiliary input connected to a fluid circuit power supply aqueous containing at least water and an alcohol and / or a derivative of alcohol, or two auxiliary inputs connected one by one circuit power supply with aqueous fluid, in particular water, and another to an alcohol storage reserve or a derivative of alcohol. This is the case of the example shown in which the circuit comprises two auxiliary inputs represented one in 5 and connected to a fluid supply circuit 15A aqueous, in the example with water, the other in 6 and connected to a reserve 15B of alcohol storage and / or a derivative of alcohol.

In the examples shown, circuit 3 of circulation also includes a supplementary auxiliary input 7 connected to a 15C reservoir of surfactant. Evidently, This supplementary auxiliary input 7 is not mandatory. Be you will notice that, in the examples represented, the circuit is, in a first time, fed with alcohol and then with agent surfactant and then with water. The alcohol or alcohol derivative It is therefore introduced in circuit 3 before water. Everybody the necessary components for the production of an emulsion are introduced in circuit 3 in fluid form.

Thanks to the components considered, the fuel, obtained from said components, can present a composition expressed in volume with respect to total volume of said composition, as follows:

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oils or fats: 68-90%

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Water: 5-15%

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alcohol and / or alcohol derivative: 5-15%

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surfactants: 0-2%

In addition to your main entrance and his or her auxiliary inputs, circuit 3 of circulation of fats and / or oils to be recovered between the storage enclosure 1 and the engine 2 It comprises at least one static mixer 26. This mixer 26 static is fed with fluids coming from said inputs of circuit by pumping. In fact, preferably, the installation comprises, for each fluid to be introduced in circuit 3 of circulation of fats and / or oils to be recovered, a pump dosing unit for bringing said fluid to the circuit. As well as illustrates the unique figure, the pump 11 allows the circuit to be brought 3 of the fats and / or oils to be recovered, pump 12 allows the introduction of water into the circuit, pump 13 the introduction of alcohol and / or an alcohol derivative in the circuit and the pump 14 the introduction of surfactant into said circuit.

Characteristically of the invention, the installation is equipped with means 27, 28 that condition the operation of the pump (s) 11, 12, 13, 14 of fluid feeding of static mixer 26 at the level of filling of collection tank 8. These pumps work Usually in sync. This collection deposit 8, which is arranged in series with the static mixer 26 is interposed between the output of the static mixer 26, and the input 16 of 2. Fuel supply of the engine 2. This allows the formation of a buffer volume upstream of feed inlet 16 with engine fuel or fuel so that the engine can, Whatever the required load, be fed in a way optimal

In the examples shown, this deposit 8 of collection is constituted by a vat 9 of storage of the fuel emulsion fueled with fuel by at least one input 8A connected to the output of static mixer 26. This Cuba 9 is internally provided with at least one organ 10 mobile agitation of the contents of the tank 9. The tank 8 It then constitutes a dynamic mixer. This mobile organ 10 is constituted in this case by a rotating blade tree. Some level sensors that detect one, 28, the minimum fill level from collection tank 8, the other, 27, the maximum filling level of the collection tank 8, they are also arranged inside of this collection tank 8, 27, 28. These sensors emit a signal in the direction of a pump relay relay 11 to 14 that allow the feeding with fluids of circuit 3 when the level of fuel from collection tank 8 is below the level maximum. These level sensors therefore constitute a means that condition the operation of the pump (s) of fluid feeding of static mixer 26 at filling of collection tank 8. When deposit 8 collection It is equipped with a mobile shaking organ, performs the function in addition to dynamic mixer that comes to complete and reinforce the action of static mixer 26 for the formation of emulsion.

The advantage of using a mixer static allows to obtain an in-line production of the emulsion. This static mixer 26 takes the form of a conduit provided internally of hollow or raised parts, of the blades type or fins, stationary that ensure a mixture of the contents of the conduit in the course of its axial displacement inside of said duct. The duct constituting the static mixer 26 is oriented vertically with his or her input (s) of feeding with fluid (s) located at a level higher than its or its fluid evacuation outlet (s) so that it also favors a circulation by gravity of the fluid in the inside of said mixer.

Preferably, in the example shown, the static mixer used is a known type mixer tubular manufactured by the company Verder. The serial use of a static mixer and a dynamic mixer allows the formation of a fine homogeneous emulsion. Liquid fuel or Biofuel from these mixing stages is used to then to continuously feed the combustion engine 2 internal

The installation is preferably a installation of the type in which at least a part of the fuel that feeds engine 2, in particular circuit 23 of injection of the engine 2, is driven by means of a conduit 19 appropriate, called discharge duct. Preferably, the collection tank 8 comprises a second entry 8B of liquid fuel supply, said inlet being 8B connected to the mouth of the motor drive duct 19 activated when motor power is supplied with fuel from circuit 3 of the circulation of fats and / or oils to be valued.

Engine 2 is preferably a hybrid engine which works alternately from one or the other of two sources 3, 18 selectively liquid fuel feed can be activated, being 3 of the sources 3, 18 constituted by the circuit 3 of circulation of fats and / or oils to be recovered, and the other by a reserve 18 of fuel or diesel.

Thus, the reserve 18 of fuel or diesel is use more particularly when the start-up phase takes place of engine 2 and after the fuel production stop fat-based liquid and / or oil to be recovered. The engine is for both powered by your reference fuel, such as fuel or diesel, before and after any use of fuel liquid obtained from the fats and / or oils to be recovered.

The installation is, in this particular case, equipped with a switching organ 17, such as a valve, disposed at, or in the vicinity of, the power inlet 16 with engine 2 fuel for the passage of a source of fuel supply to another depending on the desired fuel for engine power.

When the installation is of the type in which by at least a part of the fuel that feeds the engine 2, in particularly the injection circuit 23 of the engine 2, is driven by means of an appropriate conduit 19, called the discharge conduit, the installation is preferably equipped with at least two ducts 19, 20 of the liquid fuel drive of the engine, said ducts 19, 20 being selectively activatable as a function of the activated fuel power supply. So, when the fuel power supply consists of the circuit 3 of the circulation of fat and / or valorized oils, is the discharge conduit 19 which is activated. Conversely, when it is the fuel reserve 18 that is used, it is the conduit 20 of drive which is activated. Again, an organ of switching 21, such as a valve, which allows the passage of a drive duct to another. Preferably, valves 17 and 21 they work in synchronism and are sent from the same organ of command. It will be noted that the switching body 21, between two discharge ducts, is located between the system 23 of engine injection and engine combustion chamber 22 2.

In the particular embodiment of the invention, in which at least a part of the fuel that feeds the engine 2, in particular the injection circuit 23 of the motor 2, is driven by means of an appropriate conduit 19, whose mouth is connected to the second power input 8B with liquid fuel from collection tank 8 when you have place the activation of the power supply with fuel constituted by circuit 3 of circulation of fats and / or oils to be recovered, the fuel driven by engine 2 is directly entered back into the collection tank 8 that It forms a buffer volume. This liquid fuel can be entered again then, at any time, in the Engine 2 through the engine fuel inlet 16 2. This establishes a closed loop circuit of at least one part of the fuel required for engine 2 operation between the collection tank 8 and the engine 2. The tank 8 of collection therefore has two functions: one that consists in serving buffer volume that allows adapting the amount of biofuel produced at the effective consumption of the engine, the other recovery of the biofuel expelled by the engine when it does not work at full load. Engine 2 can then be used for various Applications.

In the example represented in the single figure, this motor 2, represented in the form of a block with the help of dashed strokes, is a cogeneration engine associated with at least on the one hand to a generator 24, on the other hand to an exchanger 25 heat with a view to the production of electrical energy and thermal In effect, this engine is connected to an alternator that Turn mechanical work into electricity. In addition, it is possible a recovery of the heat of the exhaust gases and in the system of engine cooling

The electrical performance (relationship between electric power produced and the calorific value of the fuel consumed) of the installation is between 25 and 35%. He thermal efficiency (ratio between useful thermal energy produced and the calorific value of the fuel consumed) can reach 45% if heat exchangers are used appropriate. Obviously, it is also possible to suppress the heat exchangers represented.

The installation is a production facility of electricity whose motor 2 constitutes one of the elements of a Electric generator. This application is preferred.

The fat emulsification procedure and / or in-line oil uses a static mixer associated or not with A dynamic mixer The mixing system comprising the static mixer only or the static mixer and mixer set dynamic is designed to reduce the average diameter of the drops of water below 100 µm. Alcohol or alcohol derivative added in the circuit is preferably a lower alcohol in C1-C10, preferably an alcohol in C1-C4, such as methanol or ethanol. Also, the surfactant, when present, has an HLB number less than 10, preferably between 3 and 6.

To avoid any damaged installation, and in particular any coagulation of fats and / or oils in circuit 3 of the installation, is provided, in at least one part of circuit 3 of the circulation of fats and / or oils to value, means of heating the circuit content, said heating means being arranged outside the circuit 3. These heating means generally occur in the form of electrical resistance or a circulation circuit of hot water, water having been heated from heat detached by the engine 2. The purpose of these means of heating is to keep inside circuit 3 of circulation and of the different elements that constitute this circuit a temperature generally between 35ºC and 60 ° C

In its base version, the installation as the one described above, you can simply understand a cuba 1 of storage of oils and / or fats to be recovered, a circuit of circulation of fats and / or oils to an engine with an inlet main and an auxiliary fluid feed inlet, said fluid being presented in the form of a mixture containing at least water and alcohol and / or an alcohol derivative, a mixer static and a fuel storage tank from the mixer arranged on said circuit and a motor fed to from the fuel that constitutes the engine fuel contained in the reservoir 8 that forms a buffer volume. It results from It is an extremely simple design installation.

Claims (10)

1. Installation of recovery of fats and / or oils of vegetable and / or animal origin, said installation comprising at least one storage enclosure in a liquid state of the fats and / or oils to be recovered, a combustion engine (2) internal and a circuit (3) for the circulation of fats and / or oils to be recovered between the storage enclosure (1) and the engine (2), said circuit (3) comprising at least one addition to an input (4) of main fluid connected to the storage enclosure (1), at least one inlet (5, 6, 7) of auxiliary fluid for feeding at least with water and with alcohol and / or alcohol derivative of said circuit (3) , at least one mixer (26) fed, by pumping, with fluids from said circuit inlets (4, 5, 6, 7), this mixer (26) being, suitable for forming from the components introduced in said circuit (3) a water-in-oil emulsion that can be used as a liquid fuel, you have to series with at least one fuel emulsion collection tank (8), forming this tank (8), interposed between the static mixer outlet (26) and the fuel inlet (16) of the engine (2) ), an appropriate buffer volume to alleviate the variations in fuel consumption of the engine, characterized in that the storage enclosure (1) and the circulation circuit (3) of the fats and / or oils to be recovered between the enclosure (1) of storage and the motor (2) are equipped with heating means arranged respectively outside the storage enclosure (1) and outside the circuit (3), because the mixer (26), arranged upstream of the tank (8) collection is a static mixer that takes the form of a vertically oriented duct with its or its fluid inlet (s) located at a level higher than its or its fluid evacuation outlet (s), being this conduit provided internally of hollow or protruding parts of blades or stationary fins that ensure a mixture of the contents of the conduit in the course of its axial displacement inside said conduit and because the collection tank (8) is constituted by a tank (9 ) for storage of the fuel emulsion internally provided with at least one mobile organ (10) for stirring the contents of the tank (9). 2. Installation according to claim 1, characterized in that it is equipped with means (27, 28) that condition the operation of the pump or pumps (11, 12, 13, 14) with fluid feeding of the static mixer (26) at the level for filling the collection tank (8). 3. Installation according to one of claims 1 and 2, characterized in that the circulation circuit (3) of the greases and / or oils to be recovered comprises at least two auxiliary inputs connected one (5), to a source (15A) of feeding the circuit with aqueous fluid, another (6) to a reservoir (15B) for storing alcohol and / or an alcohol derivative, and possibly a supplementary auxiliary inlet (7) connected to a reservoir (15C) of surfactant. 4. Installation according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the installation comprises, for each fluid to be introduced into the circulation circuit (3) of the fats and / or oils to be recovered, a dosing pump for bringing said fluid to said circuit, operating said pumps (12, 13, 14), conditioned in operation to the level of filling of the collection tank (8), in synchronism. 5. Installation according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the collection tank (8) comprises a second feed inlet (8B) with liquid fuel, said inlet (8B) being connected to the mouth of the conduit (19) of motor drive activated when the engine is supplied with fuel from the circuit (3) for the circulation of fats and / or oils to be recovered. 6. Installation according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the engine (2) is a hybrid engine that works alternately from one or the other of two power sources (3, 18) of selectively activatable liquid fuel supply, being a (3) of the sources (3, 18) constituted by the circuit (3) of circulation of the fats and / or oils to be recovered, the other by a reserve (18) of fuel or diesel. 7. Installation according to claim 6, characterized in that it is equipped with a switching element (17), such as a valve, arranged in or in the vicinity of the fuel inlet (16) of the engine (2) for the passing from one fuel power source to another depending on the needs of the engine. 8. Installation according to one of claims 6 or 7, of the type in which at least a part of the fuel that feeds the engine (2), in particular the engine injection circuit (23), is driven by means of an appropriate conduit (19), called the impulsion conduit, characterized in that it is equipped with at least two conduits (19, 20) for driving the liquid fuel of the engine, said conduits (19, 20) being selectively activated as a function of the power supply with activated fuel. 9. Installation according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that said installation is an electricity production installation whose motor (2) constitutes one of the elements of an electric generator. 10. Installation according to claim 9, characterized in that the motor (2) of the installation is a cogeneration motor associated at least on one side with a generator (24), on the other hand with a heat exchanger (25) with views to the production of electrical and thermal energy.