Upgrading and enrichment of gases through algae photobioreactors

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11866690-B2
Application number	US-202017019392-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 14, 2020
Priority date	Sep 13, 2019
Publication date	Jan 9, 2024
Grant date	Jan 9, 2024

Abstract

A method includes containing an algae media within a contactor, introducing a stream of natural gas comprising up to 80 wt % carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) into the contactor, contacting the natural gas on the algae media and thereby allowing the algae media to consume CO 2 from the natural gas, and discharging a stream of natural gas comprising 2 wt % or less CO 2 from the contactor.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method, comprising:
containing an algae media within a contactor;
introducing a stream of natural gas comprising up to 80 wt % carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) and having a fluid pressure in a range of 500 psig to 2000 psig into the contactor;
maintaining the fluid pressure within the contactor in the range;
contacting the natural gas on the algae media and thereby allowing the algae media to consume CO 2 from the natural gas; and
discharging a stream of natural gas comprising 2 wt % or less CO 2 from the contactor at a fluid pressure in the range into a pressurized pipeline.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the contactor comprises an algae photobioreactor.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein containing the algae media within the contactor comprises:
circulating the algae media into the contactor from an algae photobioreactor; and
returning the algae media to the algae photobioreactor after contacting the natural gas on the algae media within the contactor.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the algae photobioreactor comprises an enclosed reactor.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising conveying the stream of natural gas discharged from the contactor to a power plant for combustion.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
generating oxygen (O 2 ) with the algae media;
stripping at least a portion of the O 2 with the natural gas within the contactor and thereby discharging a stream of natural gas enriched with O 2 from the contactor; and
using the stream of natural gas enriched with O 2 in an oxygen-requiring process.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the oxygen-requiring process comprises at least one of syngas production and oxycombustion for power production.

8. A method, comprising:
introducing a stream of natural gas having a fluid pressure in a range of 500 psig to 2000 psig into an algae photobioreactor (PBR) containing an algae media;
generating oxygen (O 2 ) with the algae media;
stripping at least a portion of the O 2 with the natural gas within the PBR;
discharging a stream of natural gas enriched with O 2 from the PBR at the fluid pressure in the range; and
using the stream of natural gas enriched with O 2 in an oxygen-requiring process.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the natural gas comprises up to 80 wt % carbon dioxide (CO 2 ), and wherein generating the O 2 with the algae media comprises:
contacting the natural gas on the algae media; and
consuming at least a portion of the CO 2 from the natural gas with the algae media.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein using the stream of natural gas enriched with O 2 in an oxygen-requiring process comprises:
conveying the stream of natural gas enriched with O 2 to a combustion power plant; and
combusting the stream of natural gas enriched with O 2 in the combustion power plant to generate power.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein using the stream of natural gas enriched with O 2 in an oxygen-requiring process comprises:
conveying the stream of natural gas enriched with O 2 to a partial oxidation system; and
generating a syngas product in the partial oxidation system with the stream of natural gas enriched with O 2 .

12. The method of claim 8 , wherein the algae photobioreactor comprises an enclosed reactor.

13. The method of claim 8 , wherein using the stream of natural gas enriched with O 2 in an oxygen-requiring process is preceded by dehydrating the stream of natural gas enriched with O 2 .

14. A method, comprising:
introducing a stream of a high-carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) concentration gas with a fluid pressure in a range of 500 psig to 2000 psig into a contactor containing an algae media, wherein the high-CO 2 concentration gas comprising at a natural gas having up to 80 wt % CO 2 ;
contacting the high-CO 2 concentration gas on the algae media and thereby allowing the algae media to consume CO 2 from the high-CO 2 concentration gas; and
discharging a stream of gas comprising 2 wt % or less CO 2 from the contactor at the fluid pressure in a range of 500 psig to 2000 psig into a pressurized pipeline.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the contactor comprises an algae photobioreactor.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein containing the algae media within the contactor comprises:
circulating the algae media into the contactor from an algae photobioreactor; and
returning the algae media to the algae photobioreactor after contacting the natural gas on the algae media within the contactor.

17. The method of claim 14 , further comprising conveying the stream of gas discharged from the contactor to a power plant for combustion.

18. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:
generating oxygen (O 2 ) with the algae media;
stripping at least a portion of the O 2 with the high-CO 2 concentration gas within the contactor and thereby discharging a stream of gas enriched with O 2 from the contactor; and
using the stream of gas enriched with O 2 in an oxygen-requiring process.

Assignees

• Exxonmobil Technology & Engineering Company

Inventors

• CHOUDHARY Vinit
• O'Neal Everett J
• Feicht Sarah E
• Hanks Patrick L
• Reuter Samantha J
• Munson Rachel G

Classifications

• C12N1/12 Primary

  Unicellular algae; Culture media therefor (as new plants A01H13/00) · CPC title

• C12M21/02

  Photobioreactors (culturing algae A01G33/00, A01H4/001, C12N1/12) · CPC title

• C12M29/06

  Nozzles; Sprayers; Spargers; Diffusers (per se B01F23/231, B01J19/26) · CPC title