Fuel production plant

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11629302-B2
Application number	US-202217850125-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 27, 2022
Priority date	Jul 29, 2021
Publication date	Apr 18, 2023
Grant date	Apr 18, 2023

Abstract

A fuel production plant includes an electrolysis apparatus; an ethanol generation apparatus that decomposes sugars to generate ethanol and carbon dioxide; and a hydrocarbon generation apparatus that generates hydrocarbons by reacting carbon dioxide with hydrogen. The fuel production plant further includes a hydrogen supply part that supplies hydrogen generated in the electrolysis apparatus to the hydrocarbon generation apparatus by coupling the electrolysis apparatus to the hydrocarbon generation apparatus, an oxygen supply part that supplies oxygen generated in the electrolysis apparatus to the ethanol generation apparatus by coupling the electrolysis apparatus to the ethanol generation apparatus, and a carbon dioxide supply part that supplies carbon dioxide generated in the ethanol generation apparatus to the hydrocarbon generation apparatus by coupling the ethanol generation apparatus to the hydrocarbon generation apparatus.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A fuel production plant, comprising:
an electrolysis apparatus configured to electrolyze water to generate hydrogen and oxygen;
an ethanol generation apparatus configured to decompose sugars to generate ethanol and carbon dioxide;
a hydrocarbon generation apparatus configured to generate hydrocarbons by reacting carbon dioxide with hydrogen;
a hydrogen supply part configured to supply hydrogen generated in the electrolysis apparatus to the hydrocarbon generation apparatus by coupling the electrolysis apparatus to the hydrocarbon generation apparatus;
an oxygen supply part configured to supply oxygen generated in the electrolysis apparatus to the ethanol generation apparatus by coupling the electrolysis apparatus to the ethanol generation apparatus;
a carbon dioxide supply part configured to supply carbon dioxide generated in the ethanol generation apparatus to the hydrocarbon generation apparatus by coupling the ethanol generation apparatus to the hydrocarbon generation apparatus, wherein the carbon dioxide supply part includes a carbon dioxide storage part in which carbon dioxide generated in the ethanol generation apparatus is stored, and supplies the carbon dioxide stored in the carbon dioxide storage part to the hydrocarbon generation apparatus;
a carbon dioxide recovery apparatus configured to recover carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and supply the recovered carbon dioxide to the carbon dioxide storage part; and
a controller that is configured to operate the carbon dioxide recovery apparatus in such a way that the volume of carbon dioxide stored in the carbon dioxide storage part increases when this storage volume is below a predetermined value.

2. The fuel production plant according to claim 1 , wherein
the ethanol generation apparatus comprises at least one of:
a yeast fungus producing part configured to produce yeast fungus;
a saccharifying enzyme producing part configured to produce saccharifying enzyme; and
a boiler, and

oxygen supplied to the ethanol generation apparatus by the oxygen supply part is consumed in at least one of the yeast fungus producing part, the saccharifying enzyme producing part, and the boiler.

3. The fuel production plant according to claim 1 , wherein
the ethanol generation apparatus includes a fermentation part that decomposes monosaccharides or oligosaccharides using yeast fungus, and
the carbon dioxide supply part supplies exhaust gas from the fermentation part to the hydrocarbon generation apparatus when a predetermined amount of time has passed after the ethanol generation apparatus is put into operation or the concentration of carbon dioxide in the exhaust gas from the fermentation part becomes equal to or larger than a first threshold.

4. The fuel production plant according to claim 3 , wherein the carbon dioxide supply part releases the exhaust gas from the fermentation part into the atmosphere until a predetermined amount of time has passed since the ethanol generation apparatus is put into operation or as long as the concentration of carbon dioxide in the exhaust gas from the fermentation part remains smaller than the first threshold.

5. The fuel production plant according to claim 3 , wherein the carbon dioxide supply part concentrates the exhaust gas from the fermentation part in such a way that the concentration of carbon dioxide in this exhaust gas increases, and supplies the exhaust gas after the concentration thereof to the hydrocarbon generation apparatus until a predetermined amount of time has passed since the ethanol generation apparatus is put into operation or as long as the concentration of carbon dioxide in the exhaust gas from the fermentation part remains smaller than the first threshold.

6. The fuel production plant according to claim 3 , further comprising an algae growing apparatus configured to grow algae or an organic acid synthesis apparatus configured to reduce carbon dioxide and synthesize organic acids,
wherein the carbon dioxide supply part supplies the exhaust gas from the fermentation part to the algae growing apparatus or the organic acid synthesis apparatus until a predetermined amount of time has passed since the ethanol generation apparatus is put into operation or as long as the concentration of carbon dioxide in the exhaust gas from the fermentation part remains smaller than the first threshold.

Assignees

• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kaita Keiji
• Hirasawa Takahiko
• Yasutani Noriko
• Kato Hideo
• Kuno Oji

Classifications

• Y02E50/10

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

• Y02E60/36

  Hydrogen production from non-carbon containing sources, e.g. by water electrolysis · CPC title

• C25B1/04

  by electrolysis of water · CPC title

• C25B15/081 Primary

  Supplying products to non-electrochemical reactors that are combined with the electrochemical cell, e.g. Sabatier reactor · CPC title

• C10L2290/58

  Control or regulation of the fuel preparation of upgrading process · CPC title