System for converting organic waste reservoirs onto anaerobic digesters
OwnerRobert Charbonneauinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The system for converting organic waste reservoirs into anaerobic digester comprises an inflatable roof structure adapted to be installed on a variety of reservoirs to seal it from the atmosphere. The roof structure includes an inner gas-impermeable membrane which is adapted to raise and lower with the level of organic waste contained in the reservoir. A peripheral fold is defined in the gas-impermeable membrane adjacent the inner surface of the surrounding wall of the reservoir to form a downwardly depending skirt which acts as a gas barrier to prevent gas leakage along the inner surface of the reservoir. A gas removal unit is also provided for removing biogas trapped beneath the gas-impermeable membrane from the reservoir.
Claims42
A system for converting a reservoir into an anaerobic digester in which organic waste contained in the reservoir can be at least partly anaerobically decomposed, wherein the reservoir is of the type having a surrounding containing wall, the system comprising a roof structure adapted to be installed on the reservoir to seal the reservoir from the atmosphere, said roof structure including a gas-impermeable membrane adapted to extend over the organic waste contained in the reservoir for trapping, beneath said gas-impermeable membrane, gas generated during decomposition of the organic waste in the reservoir, said gas-impermeable membrane having a peripheral depending skirt adapted to extend downwardly and inwardly of an inner surface of the surrounding containing wall of the reservoir below a level of organic waste to prevent the gas from escaping along the inner surface of the reservoir, wherein said gas-impermeable membrane is adapted to float on top of the organic waste to raise and lower with the level of organic waste in the reservoir.
An anaerobic digester comprising a surrounding wall forming a digester vessel for containing an organic waste material, a roof structure for sealing said digester vessel from the atmosphere, said roof structure comprising a gas-impermeable membrane adapted to extend over the organic waste contained in said digester vessel for trapping, beneath said gas-impermeable membrane, gas generated from a decomposition of the organic waste, said gas-impermeable membrane having a peripheral depending skirt adapted to extend downwardly and inwardly of an inner surface of said surrounding wall of said digester vessel below a level of organic waste to prevent the gas from escaping along said inner surface, wherein said gas-impermeable membrane is adapted to float-on top of the organic waste to raise and lower with the level of organic waste in said digester vessel.
A system for converting an existing reservoir containing an organic waste into an anaerobic digester, comprising an inflatable roof structure adapted to be installed on the existing reservoir for allowing anaerobic conditions to be reached therein, and a gas removal unit for removing gas captured beneath said inflatable roof structure from the existing reservoir, wherein said inflatable roof structure includes an external membrane and an internal membrane defining an enclosed space, and wherein a replaceable insulating foam layer is provided within said enclosed space on top of said internal membrane.
A system for converting a reservoir into an anaerobic digester in which organic waste contained in the reservoir can be at least partly anaerobically decomposed, wherein the reservoir is of the type having a surrounding containing wall, the system comprising a roof structure adapted to be installed on the reservoir to seal the reservoir from the atmosphere, said roof structure including a gas-impermeable membrane adapted to extend over the organic waste contained in the reservoir for trapping, beneath said gas-impermeable membrane, gas generated during decomposition of the organic waste in the reservoir, said gas-impermeable membrane having a peripheral depending skirt adapted to extend downwardly and inwardly of an inner surface of the surrounding containing wall of the reservoir below a level of organic waste to prevent the gas from escaping along the inner surface of the reservoir, wherein said gas-impermeable membrane is adapted to be attached to the reservoir with a wall overlying portion of said gas-impermeable membrane extending downwardly along the inner surface of the surrounding containing wall of the reservoir and a central portion of said gas-impermeable membrane floating on top of the organic waste contained in the reservoir, a fold being provided in said gas-impermeable membrane about said central portion to form said downwardly depending skirt and allow said central portion to raise and lower with the level of organic waste, while preventing gas from escaping along the inner surface of the surrounding containing wall of the reservoir.
A system for converting a reservoir into an anaerobic digester in which organic waste contained in the reservoir can be at least partly anaerobically decomposed, wherein the reservoir is of the type having a surrounding containing wall, the system comprising a roof structure adapted to be installed on the reservoir to seal the reservoir from the atmosphere, said roof structure including a gas-impermeable membrane adapted to extend over the organic waste contained in the reservoir for trapping, beneath said gas-impermeable membrane, gas generated during decomposition of the organic waste in the reservoir, said gas-impermeable membrane having a peripheral depending skirt adapted to extend downwardly and inwardly of an inner surface of the surrounding containing wall of the reservoir below a level of organic waste to prevent the gas from escaping along the inner surface of the reservoir, wherein a layer of insulating material is provided on top of said gas-impermeable membrane to maintain a desired temperature in the reservoir.
A system for converting a reservoir into an anaerobic digester in which organic waste contained in the reservoir can be at least partly anaerobically decomposed, wherein the reservoir is of the type having a surrounding containing wall, the system comprising a roof structure adapted to be installed on the reservoir to seal the reservoir from the atmosphere, said roof structure including a gas-impermeable membrane adapted to extend over the organic waste contained in the reservoir for trapping, beneath said gas-impermeable membrane, gas generated during decomposition of the organic waste in the reservoir, said gas-impermeable membrane having a peripheral depending skirt adapted to extend downwardly and inwardly of an inner surface of the surrounding containing wall of the reservoir below a level of organic waste to prevent the gas from escaping along the inner surface of the reservoir, further including a submersible pump beneath said gas-impermeable membrane for mixing the organic waste and allowing the same to be discharged from the reservoir without having to remove said roof structure.
An anaerobic digester comprising a surrounding wall forming a digester vessel for containing an organic waste material, a roof structure for scaling said digester vessel from the atmosphere, said roof structure comprising a gas-impermeable membrane adapted to extend over the organic waste contained in said digester vessel for trapping, beneath said gas-impermeable membrane, gas generated from a decomposition of the organic waste, said gas-impermeable membrane having a peripheral depending skirt adapted to extend downwardly and inwardly of an inner surface of said surrounding wall of said digester vessel below a level of organic waste to prevent the gas from escaping along said inner surface, wherein said gas-impermeable membrane is adapted to be attached at a peripheral portion thereof to an upper portion of said digester vessel with a wall overlying portion of said gas-impermeable membrane extending downwardly along said inner surface of said surrounding wall of said digester vessel and a central portion of said gas-impermeable membrane floating on top of the organic waste contained in said digester vessel, a fold being provided in said gas-impermeable membrane about said central portion thereof to form said downwardly depending skirt and allow said central portion to raise and lower with the level of organic waste, while preventing gas from escaping along said inner surface of said surrounding wall of said digester vessel.
An anaerobic digester comprising a surrounding wall forming a digester vessel for containing an organic waste material, a roof structure for sealing said digester vessel from the atmosphere, said roof structure comprising a gas-impermeable membrane adapted to extend over the organic waste contained in said digester vessel for trapping, beneath said gas-impermeable membrane, gas generated from a decomposition of the organic waste, said gas-impermeable membrane having a peripheral depending skirt adapted to extend downwardly and inwardly of an inner surface of said surrounding wall of said digester vessel below a level of organic waste to prevent the gas from escaping along said inner surface, wherein a replaceable layer of insulating material is provided on top of said gas-impermeable membrane to maintain a desired temperature in said digester vessel.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.