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CarboREN Municipality Plant Concept
The following diagram describes the concept for a SunCoal Industries CarboREN® municipality plant and explains the individual development stages.
1. Receiving and Storage
Before being treated, delivered organic waste is stored either in open or closed containers, depending on composition. Storage in a CarboREN plant is designed for automatic loading on nights or weekends.
Before being treated, delivered organic waste is stored either in open or closed containers, depending on composition. Storage in a CarboREN plant is designed for automatic loading on nights or weekends.
2. Controlled Crushing and Filtering
The biomass is crushed and reduced to a grain size of 60 mm. A filter removes larger pieces and re-deposits them for crushing. The reduced biomass is then delivered either directly, or after the washing phase described below, to the hydrothermal carbonization phase. Depending on the contamination level of the biomass, a magnetic separator can also be used for re-filtering.
The biomass is crushed and reduced to a grain size of 60 mm. A filter removes larger pieces and re-deposits them for crushing. The reduced biomass is then delivered either directly, or after the washing phase described below, to the hydrothermal carbonization phase. Depending on the contamination level of the biomass, a magnetic separator can also be used for re-filtering.
3. Washing (optional)
A separate washing phase is only needed in the case of impure biomass (for example, from the compost garbage bin). During this phase, the reduced biomass is separated from impurities. The resulting reduced and washed biomass is then stored for hydrothermal carbonization.
A separate washing phase is only needed in the case of impure biomass (for example, from the compost garbage bin). During this phase, the reduced biomass is separated from impurities. The resulting reduced and washed biomass is then stored for hydrothermal carbonization.
4. Hydrothermal Carbonization (HTC)
The HTC-Cooker is the core technology of the CarboREN plant. During this phase the resulting biomass is „cooked“ according to the principles of hydrothermal carbonization. In just a few hours, temperatures of 200°C and pressure of 20 bars completely breaks down the coarse structure of the biomass and separates out a part of the primary water and oxygen as water. Modern regulations and operation technologies allow for consistent conditions and quality of treatment. The resulting HTC-slurry is thoroughly hygienically treated in preparation for the next phase.
The HTC-Cooker is the core technology of the CarboREN plant. During this phase the resulting biomass is „cooked“ according to the principles of hydrothermal carbonization. In just a few hours, temperatures of 200°C and pressure of 20 bars completely breaks down the coarse structure of the biomass and separates out a part of the primary water and oxygen as water. Modern regulations and operation technologies allow for consistent conditions and quality of treatment. The resulting HTC-slurry is thoroughly hygienically treated in preparation for the next phase.
5. Mechanical Dehydration
During mechanical dehydration a press reduces the water content of the HTC-slurry. The dehydrated HTC-cake is then ready for the thermal drying phase (described below). The separated water is reused in the process.
During mechanical dehydration a press reduces the water content of the HTC-slurry. The dehydrated HTC-cake is then ready for the thermal drying phase (described below). The separated water is reused in the process.
6. Thermal Drying
The HTC-cake is dried into SunCoal®, with water content less than 10%. The design of the drying facility can be created based on client location stipulations. For example, the CarboREN process can use surplus heat from existing plants or existing local or district heating. The customer specified product composition also has an effect on the optimal thermal drying. Wastewater produced by the CarboREN process can either be directed to a treatment plant or biologically treated in the CarboREN plant itself.
The HTC-cake is dried into SunCoal®, with water content less than 10%. The design of the drying facility can be created based on client location stipulations. For example, the CarboREN process can use surplus heat from existing plants or existing local or district heating. The customer specified product composition also has an effect on the optimal thermal drying. Wastewater produced by the CarboREN process can either be directed to a treatment plant or biologically treated in the CarboREN plant itself.
