Xergi has announced that its X-chopper pre-treatment solution for deep litter and other challenging biomass feedstock for biogas plants has been granted a European patent.
Denmark-based biogas technology suppliers Xergi A/S has announced that its X-chopper pre-treatment solution for deep litter and other challenging biomass feedstock for biogas plants has been granted a European patent.
– We began developing X-chopper because we were missing a technology that could pre-treat deep litter and other troublesome biomasses in continuous operations, and we are pleased that the technology has now obtained the European patent, said Jørgen Ballermann, CEO of Xergi in a statement.
The patent secures Xergi the rights to the solution that enables X-chopper to continuously pre-treat deep litter and other “troublesome” biomass without having to make frequent stops to empty and clean the pre-treatment unit. For instance, deep litter has a dry matter (DM) content that varies considerably, which makes shredding of the material extremely challenging. This was the problem that Xergi focused on when they started the development of the X-chopper.
– The problem with the existing solutions that operate in batches is that they need to be emptied and refilled, and that the deep litter sticks to the sides of the equipment. As a result, it was difficult to empty the crushed material out of the pre-treatment unit. By creating an auger that leads the pre-treated deep litter out of the X-chopper, we can ensure continuous operations and avoid the material sticking to the sides. It also makes the treatment time adjustable via the unit’s control system. We can then adjust handling time according to the length of treatment which the specific materials require, explained Henrik Kjeldgaard Hansen Development Engineer at Xergi.
Significant “hammer link”
When deep litter is added to an X-chopper, the biomass is macerated by rotating chains inside the X-chopper. The design of the individual link in the chain has great significance to how the biomass is macerated, and how long the links can last this rough handling.
– Because of this, our R&D department has carried out a development project focusing on the chain’s design. This has led to a new design of what we call a ‘hammer link’. Our testing shows that X-chopper is now better at macerating the biomass, and the link seems to last longer, said Karsten Klit, after-sales manager at Xergi.
Chains with the new design have been tested in the X-chopper in operation at Vegger Biogas in Denmark, and Xergi is now in use in existing X-choppers in Denmark, France, UK and USA, and in the units that are sold to new customers. This project to further develop the X-chopper is in alignment with Xergi’s strategy to focus on the optimisation of the biogas plant’s production and economy.
– Our focus includes continual optimisation of the pre-treatment of biomass, because this helps to ensure the biogas plants a faster digestion of the biomass. This leads to a more efficient way for the biogas plants to use of their digester capacity and ultimately improves the operations and business economics at the plant, ended Karsten Klit.
