Membrane biofilm reactors, systems, and methods for producing organic products

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11155776-B2
Application number	US-201916594944-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 7, 2019
Priority date	Mar 11, 2014
Publication date	Oct 26, 2021
Grant date	Oct 26, 2021

Abstract

The present disclosure is directed toward membrane biofilm reactors primarily comprising microorganisms that produce chemical fuel products or precursors thereof. Reactors of the present disclosure can primarily comprise acetogens, a methanotrophs, and/or Methanosarcina acetivorans.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of producing and extracting at least one of an alkane, an organic acid, or an alcohol comprising:
providing a gas feedstock composition to at least one hollow fiber membrane of a membrane biofilm reactor, the gas feedstock composition alternating between a primary composition and a secondary composition, the membrane biofilm reactor comprising a biofilm disposed on the hollow fiber membrane in an aqueous medium; and
extracting at least one of an alkane, an organic acid, or an alcohol from the aqueous medium;
wherein the primary composition comprises CH 4 and the secondary composition comprises CH 4 and CO.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the primary composition comprises a C-1 substrate and the secondary composition comprises one of N 2 , CO 2 , or 100% NH 3 .

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the secondary composition comprises CH 4 , CO, and N 2 .

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the secondary composition comprises CH 4 , CO, and CO 2 .

5. The method of claim 2 , wherein the secondary composition comprises CH 4 , CO, and NH 3 .

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the primary composition comprises 5-15:5-15:70-90 of CH 4 , O 2 , and N 2 .

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the secondary composition comprises O 2 .

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the gas feedstock composition alternates between the primary composition and the secondary composition for pH adjustment of the aqueous medium.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the primary composition and the secondary composition are both below a lower flammability limit.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the primary composition is different from the secondary composition.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the primary composition further comprises O 2 and N 2 , and is substantially non-combustible.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the biofilm consists essentially of thermophilic microorganisms.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the biofilm comprises at least a majority of at least one of the following microorganisms: methanotrophs, and Methanosarcina acetivorans.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the aqueous medium has a temperature of 50° C. to 70° C.

Assignees

• Univ Arizona State

Inventors

• Parameswaran Prathap
• Krajmalnik-Brown Rosa
• Popat Sudeep
• Rittmann Bruce
• Torres Cesar

Classifications

• B01D2311/2661

  Addition of gas · CPC title

• C02F1/66

  by neutralisation; pH adjustment (for degassing C02F1/20; using ion-exchange C02F1/42; for flocculation or precipitation of suspended impurities C02F1/52; for removing dissolved compounds C02F1/58) · CPC title

• B01D2317/04

  Elements in parallel · CPC title

• B01D2311/10

  Temperature control · CPC title

• C02F1/02

  by heating (methods of steam generation F22B; preheating boiler feed-water or accumulating preheated boiler feed-water F22D) · CPC title