Self-flushing anaerobic digester system
AssigneeDari-Tech, Inc.
InventorDavid DeWaard
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A digester system comprising a primary digester tank containing a primary feed material portion, a secondary digester tank containing a secondary feed material portion, a first conduit connected between the primary digester tank and the secondary digester tank to define a primary tank lower opening within the primary digester tank and a secondary digester tank lower opening within the secondary digester tank, and a flow control valve configured to allow or prevent flow of fluid through the first conduit. When the flow control valve is configured to allow flow of fluid through the first conduit, a portion of the primary feed material portion flows from the primary digester tank to the secondary digester tank to form the secondary feed material portion.
Claims17
An anaerobic digester system comprising:
- a primary digester tank, defining each of a digester tank lower tank opening and a biogas opening, the primary digester tank being configured for containing a primary feed material portion defining a primary feed material level and a primary digester tank head pressure when in operation, the digester tank lower tank opening being positioned beneath the primary feed material level and the biogas opening being positioned above the primary feed material level;
- a secondary digester tank, defining a secondary tank lower tank opening and comprising a pump, the secondary digester tank being configured for containing a secondary feed material portion defining a secondary feed material level and a secondary digester tank head pressure when in operation, the secondary tank lower tank opening and the pump each being positioned beneath the secondary feed material level;
- a first conduit communicating the primary digester tank lower tank opening to the secondary digester tank lower tank opening;
- and
- a flow control valve configured to allow flow of fluid through the first conduit, from the primary digester tank to the secondary digester tank in an interval defined by the primary tank head pressure being sufficiently greater than the secondary tank head pressure so as to motivate a flow of primary feed material from the primary digester tank to the secondary digester tank upon opening the valve.
A digester system comprising:
- a primary digester tank for digestion of a primary feed material into biogas and secondary feed material, a primary tank volume of primary feed material present during digestion defining a primary feed material level;
- a secondary digester tank for receiving a secondary tank volume of the secondary feed material, a secondary tank volume of secondary feed material present during digestion defining a secondary feed material level;
- a first conduit communicating between a digester tank lower tank opening the primary digester tank defines and a secondary tank lower tank opening the secondary digester tank defines, where the primary digester tank lower tank opening is below the primary feed material level and the secondary digester tank lower tank opening is below the secondary feed material level;
- a second conduit communicating between a primary tank upper opening the primary digester tank defines and a secondary digester tank upper opening the secondary digester tank defines, where the primary digester tank upper opening is located above the primary feed material level and the secondary digester tank upper opening is located above the secondary feed material level;
- a flow control valve configured to allow a flow of fluid through the first conduit from the primary digester tank to the secondary digester tank at a first flow rate during an interval when the primary tank head pressure is sufficiently greater than the secondary tank head pressure so as to motivate settled solid matter in the primary tank through the first conduit into the secondary digester tank;
- a pump is operatively connected to the secondary digester tank and a separator, which in operation, is configured to continuously remove the secondary feed material portion from the secondary digester tank at a second flow rate to feed the separator;
- wherein;
- the first flow rate is greater than the second flow rate;
- and
- the separator separates the secondary feed material portion pumped from the secondary digester tank into liquid and solid components.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.