Production system and method of production for organic compound or microorganism

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10808267-B2
Application number	US-201715675113-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 11, 2017
Priority date	Feb 17, 2015
Publication date	Oct 20, 2020
Grant date	Oct 20, 2020

Abstract

Provided is a novel production system that does not involve, or can minimize, the transport of liquid ammonia in the production of an organic compound or the production of a microorganism by microbial fermentation. A production system for an organic compound or a microorganism includes: an ammonia synthesis apparatus in which an ammonia-containing gas is synthesized by reaction of a source gas containing hydrogen and nitrogen in the presence of a supported ruthenium catalyst; and a culture apparatus that cultures a microorganism having organic compound productivity using ammonia originating from the ammonia-containing gas obtained by using the ammonia synthesis apparatus.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A production system useful for reacting a source gas and a ruthenium catalyst to produce an organic compound or a microorganism, the production system comprising:
an ammonia synthesis apparatus configured to react a source gas comprising hydrogen and nitrogen in the presence of a ruthenium catalyst and a support, wherein an ammonia-containing gas is synthesized;
an ammonia water producing apparatus configured to produce ammonia water using ammonia originating from said ammonia-containing gas;
an ammonia gas stripper configured to recover ammonia gas from said ammonia water from said ammonia water producing apparatus; and
a culture apparatus configured to culture a microorganism able to produce an organic compound using ammonia originating from said ammonia-containing gas;
wherein said ammonia gas stripper is in communication with said ammonia water producing apparatus, to remove water from said ammonia water from said ammonia water producing apparatus, and said culture apparatus is in communication with said ammonia gas stripper, to produce said organic compound using ammonia gas from said ammonia gas stripper.

2. The production system according to claim 1 , wherein said ammonia synthesis apparatus is configured to react the source gas under conditions comprising a reaction temperature of 530° C. or lower and a reaction pressure of 30 MPa or lower.

3. The production system according to claim 1 , further comprising an ammonia concentration apparatus that is in communication with said ammonia synthesis apparatus, configured to concentrate the ammonia from the ammonia-containing gas that is obtained in said ammonia synthesis apparatus.

4. The production system according to claim 1 , further comprising a recycle apparatus in communication with said ammonia water producing apparatus that is configured to recover unreacted hydrogen and nitrogen in the ammonia water producing apparatus, and is also configured to return said unreacted hydrogen and nitrogen to be reacted again in the ammonia synthesis apparatus.

5. The production system according to claim 4 , wherein the recycle apparatus comprises a dehydrator and/or a drier configured to remove water from said unreacted hydrogen and nitrogen.

6. The production system according to claim 1 , wherein ammonia is used as a nitrogen source or a pH adjuster in the culture apparatus.

7. The production system according to claim 1 , wherein the microorganism is able to produce an organic compound selected from the group consisting of amino acids, organic acids, polysaccharides, proteins, antibiotics, and alcohols.

8. The production system according to claim 1 , wherein the microorganism is a bacterium or a fungus.

Assignees

• Ajinomoto Kk
• Tokyo Inst Tech

Inventors

• Kishino Mitsuhiro
• Kojima Hiroyuki
• Hosono Hideo
• Hara Michikazu
• Kitano Masaaki
• Yokoyama Toshiharu
• Numaguchi Toru
• Ito Munenobu
• Yamada Kazuteru
• Noguchi Hiromi

Classifications

• C01C1/0476

  Purge gas treatment, e.g. for removal of inert gases or recovery of H2 · CPC title

• C01C1/0458

  Separation of NH3 (during purge gas treatment C01C1/0476) · CPC title

• C01B2203/04

  containing a purification step for the hydrogen or the synthesis gas · CPC title

• C01B2203/025

  containing a partial oxidation step · CPC title

• C12M43/00

  Combinations of bioreactors or fermenters with other apparatus · CPC title