Intermittent electrolysis streams

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2019323042-A1
Application number	US-201916373071-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 2, 2019
Priority date	Apr 20, 2018
Publication date	Oct 24, 2019
Grant date	—

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

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. intermittently passing an electrolyzer feedstock comprising one or both of CO and H 2 from an electrolyzer process to the bioreactor, wherein the electrolyzer feedstock has a cost per unit; and c. fermenting the culture to produce one or more fermentation products, wherein each of the one or more fermentation products 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 electrolyzer feedstock displaces at least a portion of the C1 feedstock as a function of the cost per unit of the C1 feedstock and the cost per unit of the electrolyzer feedstock.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the electrolyzer feedstock displaces at least a portion of the C1 feedstock when the cost per unit of electrolyzer feedstock is less than the cost per unit of C1 feedstock.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the electrolyzer feedstock supplements the C1 feedstock when the supply of the C1 feedstock is insufficient for the fermentation process.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the electrolyzer feedstock supplements the C1 feedstock as a function of the cost per unit of the electrolyzer feedstock and the value per unit of the fermentation product.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the electrolyzer feedstock supplements the C1 feedstock as 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.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the electrolyzer feedstock supplements the C1 feedstock when the cost per unit of the electrolyzer feedstock is less than the value per unit of the fermentation product.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein supplementing a C1 feedstock comprising CO 2 with an electrolyzer feedstock comprising H 2 increases the amount of CO 2 fixed in the one or more fermentation products.

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

11 . The method of claim 10 , 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.

12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the electrolyzer feedstock is treated to remove one or more constituent prior to passing the electrolyzer feedstock to the bioreactor.

13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein at least one constituent removed from the electrolyzer feedstock comprises oxygen.

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

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

16 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the electrolyzer process is completed at pressure.

17 . The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the one or more fermentation products is selected from the group consisting of ethanol, 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.

18 . The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the one or more fermentation products is microbial biomass.

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

20 . The method of claim 19 , wherein the renewable energy source is selected from the group consisting of solar, hydro, wind, geothermal, biomass, and nuclear.

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

22 . The method of claim 21 , further comprising passing the post-fermentation gaseous substrate to the electrolyzer process.

23 . The method of claim 22 , wherein the post-fermentation gaseous substrate is treated to remove one or more constituent prior to being passed to the electrolyzer process.

24 . The method of claim 23 , wherein the one or more constituent removed from the post-fermentation gaseous substrate 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.

25 . The method of claim 24 , wherein constituent removed from the post-fermentation gaseous substrate is sulphur.

Assignees

• Lanzatech Inc

Inventors

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

Classifications

• C12M43/04 Primary

  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

• C12P7/00

  Preparation of oxygen-containing organic compounds · CPC title

• C12P5/00

  Preparation of hydrocarbons {or halogenated hydrocarbons} · CPC title

• C25B1/02

  Hydrogen or oxygen · CPC title

• C12P7/04

  acyclic · CPC title