Production of electricity from plants

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10015931-B2
Application number	US-201213729089-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 28, 2012
Priority date	Dec 28, 2012
Publication date	Jul 10, 2018
Grant date	Jul 10, 2018

Abstract

Methods and articles are provided for generating electricity from carbon-based photosynthate produced by a plant. The methods include providing the plant with a composition including CO 2 and/or a composition that generates CO 2 , harvesting a carbon-based photosynthate from the plant, processing the carbon-based photosynthate to produce energy, and converting at least some of the energy into electricity. An apparatus for converting the carbon-based photosynthate into CO 2 and heat, and an apparatus for converting the heat of combustion into electricity is also provided. An apparatus is also disclosed for providing the plant with a composition including CO 2 and/or a composition that generates CO 2 .

First claim

What is claimed:

1. A method for producing electricity, the method comprising:
contacting an aqueous amine solution with CO 2 to form a composition, wherein the composition comprises at least about 0.1 wt./wt. % CO 2 , and wherein at least about 0.1 wt./wt. % of the composition comprises a CO 2 -generating composition, wherein the CO 2 -generating composition is
a reaction product of an amine, or a salt thereof, and CO 2 , wherein the amine comprises ammonia, a primary (C 6 -C 30 ) alkyl amine, piperidine, morpholine, monoethanolamine (MEA), diethanolamine (DEA), methyldiethanolamine (MDEA), diisopropylamine (DIPA), aminoethoxyethanol (DGA), or a combination of any two or more thereof; providing the composition to a tree, wherein the composition is provided to the tree by injecting the composition into the vascular system of the tree;
recovering the amine solution from the tree;
re-contacting the amine solution with additional CO 2 to form a regenerated CO 2 -generating composition;
providing the regenerated CO 2 -generating composition to the tree, wherein the regenerated CO 2 -generating composition is provided to the tree by injecting the regenerated CO 2 -generating composition into the vascular system of the tree;
growing the tree under conditions which allow the tree to produce a carbon-based photosynthate, wherein the carbon-based photosynthate comprises carbon derived in part from the composition provided to the tree, and wherein the carbon-based photosynthate is phloem sap;
extracting the carbon-based photosynthate from the tree in a fluid form;
processing at least a fraction of the carbon-based photosynthate to produce energy and a product stream; and
converting at least some of the energy into electricity;
wherein the tree is operatively connected to an apparatus for providing the composition to the tree, wherein the apparatus comprises:
(a) at least one infusion pump for providing the composition by injection into the tree;
(b) at least one sensor for obtaining data related to the plant, the data comprising any one or more of the concentration of the composition, atmospheric temperature, plant temperature, humidity, plant moisture level, wind speed, sunlight level, the amount of water provided to the plant, the transpiration rate of the plant, guard cell morphology, the rate of injection of the composition, or the rate of extraction of the carbon-based photosynthate from the tree;
(c) at least one control unit comprising a microprocessor electrically connected to the infusion pump and the sensor;
(d) at least one user interface, operatively connected to the control unit;
(e) at least one absorber unit for increasing the rate and/or efficiency by which the aqueous amine solution absorbs CO 2 , wherein the absorber unit is operatively connected to the control unit;
(f) at least one regenerator unit operatively connected to the control unit; and
(g) at least one data output interface operatively connected to one or more components (a)-(f).

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method comprises using a fuel cell to process at least a fraction of the carbon-based photosynthate to produce electrical energy and the product stream.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method comprises using combustion to process at least a fraction of the carbon-based photosynthate to produce thermal energy and the product stream, wherein the combustion occurs in a generator.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising providing at least a fraction of the product stream to the tree.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein providing at least a fraction of the product stream to the tree comprises processing at least a portion of the product stream into the composition provided to the tree.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises monitoring the amount of water removed from soil by the tree.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises monitoring the amount of water transpired from the tree.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the composition further comprises water.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the composition provided to the tree further comprises an agent selected from the group consisting of a fungicide, antibiotic, antiviral, pesticide, growth regulator, nutrient, anti-herbivore agent, fertilizer, stomata control agent, and a combination thereof.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the composition is a fluid, gel, solution, aerosol, or a suspension.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the composition is injected into the phloem or xylem of the tree.

12. The method of claim 1 , further comprising reducing the rate of absorption of atmospheric CO 2 by the tree during an interval of time.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the carbon-based photosynthate comprises carbon derived in part from the composition provided to the tree.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method is at least partially automated.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the tree is a wild-type tree or is a domesticated tree.

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the composition comprises at least about 1.0 wt./wt. % CO 2 .

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein the composition comprises at least about 10.0 wt./wt. % CO 2 .

Assignees

• Elwha Llc

Inventors

• Allen Paul G
• Caldeira Kenneth G
• Ferren Bran
• Gates William
• Hillis W Daniel
• Hyde Roderick A
• Ishikawa Muriel Y
• Jung Edward K Y
• Kare Jordin T
• Latham John
• Myhrvold Nathan P
• Salter Stephen H
• Tegreene Clarence T
• Tuckerman David B
• Weaver Thomas A
• Whitmer Charles
• Wood Jr Lowell L
• Wood Victoria Y H

Classifications

• A01G7/06

  Treatment of growing trees or plants, e.g. for preventing decay of wood, for tingeing flowers or wood, for prolonging the life of plants · CPC title

• A01G7/02 Primary

  Treatment of plants with carbon dioxide · CPC title

• Y02P60/24

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• Y02P60/20

  Reduction of greenhouse gas [GHG] emissions in agriculture, e.g. CO2 · CPC title