Saccharification reaction apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016108355-A1
Application number	US-201314758341-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 21, 2013
Priority date	Dec 27, 2012
Publication date	Apr 21, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A saccharification-reaction apparatus includes: a reactor which causes a saccharification-reaction of a raw material; and a raw material charging device which charges the raw material into the reactor at a predetermined interval; the reactor includes: a heating steam feeder which increases a temperature of the raw material charged from the charging device to a saccharification-reaction temperature; and a feeding mechanism which sequentially feeds each of the charged raw materials toward an outlet-port in a predetermined short period of time while causing the saccharification-reaction of each raw material under a high temperature and pressure; the raw material charging-device charges into the reactor, the raw material with a suitable bulk density for a saccharification-reaction speed of the reactor; in this manner, the saccharification-reaction apparatus charges the raw material in a hydrolytic saccharification state into the reactor by the raw material charging device; and hydrolytically saccharifying the raw material efficiently in the reactor.

First claim

1 . A saccharification reaction apparatus comprising:
a reactor configured to cause a saccharification reaction of a raw material; and a raw material charging device configured to charge the raw material into the reactor at a predetermined interval, wherein the raw material charging device is configured to charge, into the reactor, the raw material with such a bulk density that the raw material breaks into pieces and is dispersed when charged into the reactor, and the reactor includes:
a heating steam feeder configured to increase a temperature of the raw material charged from the raw material charging device to a saccharification reaction temperature; and
a feeding mechanism configured to discharge the charged raw material through an outlet port after the saccharification reaction of the raw material has been caused under a high temperature and a high pressure for a predetermined time.

2 . The saccharification reaction apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the raw material charging device includes:
a piston pump configured to charge the raw material into the reactor;
a charging pipe configured to guide a piston of the piston pump, the charging pipe including a raw material feeding port; and
a gate valve configured to open and close the charging pipe,
the piston of the piston pump includes a sealing portion configured to seal between the charging pipe and the piston, and the piston is configured to isolate between a high-pressure reactor side and a low-pressure raw material feeding port side by the sealing portion in a section from a gate-side end of the raw material feeding port to the gate valve.

3 . The saccharification reaction apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein
the piston pump is configured to control either one of a gate-valve-side stop position and a raw-material-feeding-port-side stop position of the piston relative to the gate-side end of the raw material feeding port to render the bulk density of the raw material adjustable.

4 . The saccharification reaction apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the heating steam feeder is configured to feed heating steam, which is such heating steam that an upper gaseous layer pressure in the reactor becomes higher than a sum of a saturated vapor pressure at a liquid temperature of the raw material fed by the feeding mechanism and a partial pressure of gas other than steam.

5 . The saccharification reaction apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the reactor includes a vent portion, through which air in the raw material charged from the raw material charging device is discharged.

6 . The saccharification reaction apparatus according to claim 1 , comprising:
a mixer configured to mix steam into the raw material to preheat the raw material, and feed the preheated raw material to the raw material charging device; and a flash tank configured to reduce a temperature and a pressure of the raw material discharged from the reactor, wherein the saccharification reaction apparatus is configured to return steam whose pressure has been reduced in the flash tank to the mixer and mix the steam into the raw material to preheat the raw material, such that the temperature of the preheated raw material becomes lower than or equal to the reaction temperature.

7 . The saccharification reaction apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein
the mixer is configured to mix an acid catalyst into the raw material.

Assignees

• Kawasaki Heavy Ind Ltd

Inventors

• Nishino Takashi
• Izumi Noriaki
• Tajiri Hironori
• Kusuda Hiromasa
• Tsuzawa Masaki

Classifications

• C12M33/12

  by pressure · CPC title

• C12M45/20 Primary

  Heating; Cooling (heating or cooling apparatus for laboratory uses B01L7/00) · CPC title

• C12M37/04

  Seals · CPC title

• C12M29/00

  Means for introduction, extraction or recirculation of materials, e.g. pumps (pumps per se F04B) · CPC title

• C13K1/02

  obtained by saccharification of cellulosic materials (manufacture of fodder A23K10/32) · CPC title