Outstanding biomass treatment with the QZ - MeWa Recycling ...

Market & trends
Outstanding biomass
treatment with the QZ
Enables gas output to rise by up to 30%
S
Josef Kröll has been operating a state-of-the-art
biogas system in Zillertal, Austria since the start
of 2008. In order to treat the bio waste, the farmer
uses the MeWa Querstromzerspaner – with
resounding success.
chlitters is a family-friendly holiday
village located at the entrance to Zillertal,
popular with tourists above all
because of its sunny location and magnificent
surrounding countryside. This combination
of agriculture, tourism and environmental
protection
also plays a key role in the
state-of-the-art plant at
Biogas Schlitters GmbH.
In an eco-friendly process,
the plant in Schlitters
produces electricity,
heat and compost from around 6,000
tonnes of municipal bio waste, food waste
from various tourist hotels, bed and breakfasts
and guest houses using food which
is out of date or frozen but still packaged
from supermarkets and stores.
A key role in the plant design, which
is by Finsterwalder Umwelttechnik GmbH
(Fitec) from Bernau in Bavaria, is played
by a recycling technology machine: all bio
waste initially lands in the patented MeWa
Querstromzerspaner (QZ) for treatment.
The machine forms an enclosed system
and, in contrast to conventional shredding
techniques, is fit-
The chains of the MeWa
Querstromzerspaner
work like a
mortar crushing herbs.
ted with chains rather
than blades too. This
is immediately associated
with several
benefits.
• Higher gas output
Whereas machine systems with
blades merely shred organic waste,
the chains on the QZ work like a
mortar crushing herbs. This process gives
rise to a considerably larger surface area.
In the ensuing fermentation process, a
significantly larger contact surface is provided
for the bacteria. The retention time
of the biomass in the fermenter is speeded
up and gas output is therefore increased
significantly.
• Optimal treatment of substrate
The type and composition of the quantities
delivered to Schlitters each day fluctuates.
Operators can react to this by varying
retention times and formulations in
the Querstsromzerspaner. Latterly the QZ
has even replaced the otherwise conventional
mixer. At the end, an optimally treated
substrate is produced. Contamination
by odours is also reduced considerably
due to the enclosed system.
• Opening of packages
The machine can also open packaged
food, plastic bags and deep-frozen meals.
In a subsequent separation stage, these
packages can also be separated from organic
substances.
MeWa-News March 2009