System for the production of methane from CO2

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12416025-B2
Application number	US-202017116629-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 9, 2020
Priority date	Jun 13, 2006
Publication date	Sep 16, 2025
Grant date	Sep 16, 2025

Abstract

A method of converting CO 2 gas produced during industrial processes comprising contacting methanogenic archaea with the CO 2 gas under suitable conditions to produce methane.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of converting carbon dioxide produced during an industrial process to methane comprising:
a) contacting a culture comprising hydrogenotrophic methanogenic archaea with H 2 gas, CO 2 gas and an output gas from an industrial process in a bioreactor, wherein the output gas comprises CO 2 gas, carbon monoxide gas and between 0.1% to about 32% air by volume;
b) supplying an amount of H 2 gas to maintain a redox potential in the bioreactor under −100 mV or less, wherein no additional constituent other than the H 2 gas is added to the bioreactor to maintain the redox potential in the bioreactor under −100 mV or less; and
c) maintaining the redox potential of −100 mV or less,
wherein the hydrogenotrophic methanogenic archaea continuously produces methane in the presence of oxygen.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein no sulfur is in the process other than sulfur in the culture medium.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the hydrogenotrophic methanogenic archea comprises one or more species selected from the group consisting of Methanobacterium alcaliphilum, Methanobacterium bryantii, Methanobacterium congolense, Methanobacterium defluvii, Methanobacterium espanolae, Methanobacterium formicicum, Methanobacterium ivanovii, Methanobacterium palustre, Methanobacterium thermaggregans, Methanobacterium uliginosum, Methanobrevibacter acididurans, Methanobrevibacter arboriphilicus, Methanobrevibacter gottschalkii, Methanobrevibacter olleyae, Methanobrevibacter ruminantium, Methanobrevibacter smithii, Methanobrevibacter woesei, Methanobrevibacter wolinii, Methanothermobacter marburgensis, Methanothermobacter thermautotrophicum, Methanothermobacter thermoflexus, Methanothermobacter thermophilus, Methanothermobacter wolfeii, Methanothermus sociabilis, Methanocorpusculum bavaricum, Methanocorpusculum parvum, Methanoculleus chikuoensis, Methanoculleus submarinus, Methanogenium frigidum, Methanogenium liminatans, Methanogenium marinum, Methanosarcina acetivorans, Methanosarcina barkeri, Methanosarcina mazei, Methanosarcina thermophila, Methanomicrobium mobile, Methanocaldococcus jannaschii, Methanococcus aeolicus, Methanococcus maripaludis, Methanococcus vannielii, Methanococcus voltaei, Methanothermococcus thermolithotrophicus, Methanopyrus kandleri, Methanothermobacter thermautotrophicus, Methanocaldococcus fervens, Methanocaldococcus indicus, Methanocaldococcus infernus , and Methanocaldococcus vulcanius.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the culture is a substantially pure culture of one hydrogenotrophic methanogenic archaea species.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the industrial process is coal gasification, biomass gasification, or liquid fuel production by biomass fermentation.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the conditions include a temperature of about 80° C. to about 100° C.

Assignees

• Univ Chicago

Inventors

• Mets Laurens

Classifications

• Y02E50/30

  Fuel from waste, e.g. synthetic alcohol or diesel · CPC title

• C12M47/18

  Gas cleaning, e.g. scrubbers; Separation of different gases (separating dispersed particles from gases or vapours B01D45/00; separation of gases or vapours B01D53/00; gas washing apparatus for laboratory uses B01L5/04) · CPC title

• C12M45/06

  by chemical means or hydrolysis · CPC title

• C12M43/04

  Bioreactors or fermenters combined with combustion devices or plants, e.g. for carbon dioxide removal (C12M43/06 takes precedence; recovery of carbon dioxide C12F3/02) · CPC title

• C12M29/24

  Recirculation of gas · CPC title