Intermittent electrolysis streams

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11053517-B2
Application number	US-201916373071-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 2, 2019
Priority date	Apr 20, 2018
Publication date	Jul 6, 2021
Grant date	Jul 6, 2021

Abstract

The invention provides for methods by which the economics of the gas fermentation process are improved. The invention provides for the integration of a fermentation process, with an industrial process and an electrolyzer process. The invention provides for the intermittent supply of electrolyzer feedstock from the electrolyzer process to the bioreactor for fermentation. The electrolyzer feedstock may displace at least a portion of the C1 feedstock from the industrial process. The electrolyzer feedstock may supplement the C1 feedstock from the industrial process. Whether or not the electrolyzer feedstock supplements or displaces the C1 feedstock with electrolyzer feedstock may be based upon a function of the cost per unit of the C1 feedstock, the cost per unit of the electrolyzer feedstock, and the value per unit of the fermentation product.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of operating a fermentation process with a bioreactor containing a bacterial culture in a liquid nutrient medium, the method comprising:
a. passing a C1 feedstock comprising one or both of CO and CO 2 from an industrial process to the bioreactor, wherein the C1 feedstock has a cost per unit;
b. passing a gaseous CO 2 -containing substrate and/or a water stream to an electrolyzer process to produce an electrolyzer feedstock comprising CO and/or H 2 ;
c. determining if the cost per unit of the electrolyzer feedstock is less than or greater than the cost per unit of the C1 feedstock and if the cost per unit of the electrolyzer feedstock is less than the C1 feedstock cost per unit, passing at least a portion of the electrolyzer feedstock from the electrolyzer process to the bioreactor, to displace at least a portion of the C1 feedstock wherein the electrolyzer feedstock has a cost per unit with respect to H 2 given by an equation

(

$
⁢
z

M
⁢
W
⁢
h

)

×

(

1
⁢
M
⁢
W
⁢
h

3
.
6

⁢

GJ
electricity

)

×

(

x
⁢

GJ
electricity

GJ

H
⁢
2

)

×

(

y
⁢

GJ

H
⁢
2

GJ
ethanol

)

where z represents the cost of power, x represents the electrolysis efficiency, and y represents the yield of ethanol and with respect to CO by an equation

(

$
⁢
z

M
⁢
W
⁢
h

)

×

(

1
⁢
M
⁢
W
⁢
h

3
.
6

⁢

GJ
electricity

)

×

(

x
⁢

GJ
electricity

GJ
CO

)

×

(

y
⁢

GJ
CO

GJ
ethanol

)

where z represents the cost of power, x represents the electrolysis efficiency, and y represents the yield of ethanol; and
d. fermenting the culture to produce at least one fermentation product comprising ethanol, wherein the ethanol has a value per unit.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the C1 feedstock further comprises H 2 .

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the C1 feedstock is treated to remove one or more constituents prior to passing the C1 feedstock to the bioreactor.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein at least one or more of the constituents removed from the C1 feedstock is selected from the group comprising: sulphur compounds, aromatic compounds, alkynes, alkenes, alkanes, olefins, nitrogen compounds, phosphorous-containing compounds, particulate matter, solids, oxygen, oxygenates, halogenated compounds, silicon containing compounds, carbonyls, metals, alcohols, esters, ketones, peroxides, aldehydes, ethers, and tars.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the electrolyzer feedstock is treated to remove at least one constituent prior to passing the electrolyzer feedstock to the bioreactor.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the at least one constituent removed from the electrolyzer feedstock comprises oxygen.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the C1 feedstock is pressurized prior to passing the C1 feedstock to the bioreactor.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the electrolyzer feedstock is pressurized prior to passing the electrolyzer feedstock to the bioreactor.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the fermentation product further comprises at least one product selected from the group consisting of acetate, butyrate, 2,3-butanediol, lactate, butene, butadiene, ketones, methyl ethyl ketone, ethylene, acetone, isopropanol, lipids, 3-hydroypropionate, isoprene, fatty acids, 2-butanol, 1,2-propanediol, and 1-propanol.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the fermentation product further comprises microbial biomass.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the electrolyzer process is powered, at least in part, by a renewable energy source.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the renewable energy source is selected from the group consisting of solar, hydro, wind, geothermal, and biomass.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the culture further produces a post-fermentation gaseous substrate.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising passing the post-fermentation gaseous substrate to the electrolyzer process.

15. The method of claim 1

Assignees

• Lanzatech Inc

Inventors

• Conrado Robert John
• Simpson Sean Dennis
• Mihalcea Christophe Daniel

Classifications

• Y02E50/10

  Biofuels, e.g. bio-diesel · CPC title

• C25B15/08

  Supplying or removing reactants or electrolytes; Regeneration of electrolytes · CPC title

• C12P5/00

  Preparation of hydrocarbons {or halogenated hydrocarbons} · CPC title

• C25B1/02

  Hydrogen or oxygen · CPC title

• Y02P20/133

  Renewable energy sources, e.g. sunlight · CPC title