Production of hydrogen using an anaerobic biological process

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9506084-B2
Application number	US-201313891435-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 10, 2013
Priority date	May 10, 2012
Publication date	Nov 29, 2016
Grant date	Nov 29, 2016

Abstract

Various embodiments of the present invention pertain to methods for biological production of hydrogen. More specifically, embodiments of the present invention pertain to a modular energy system and related methods for producing hydrogen using organic waste as a feed stock.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for producing hydrogen comprising:
providing an organic waste;
fermenting the organic waste in a substantially anaerobic environment, wherein hydrogen is produced from the fermenting;
directing the hydrogen to one of a fuel cell and a heat engine; and
heating the organic waste at a temperature effective to substantially sterilize the organic waste, wherein the heating occurs subsequent to the fermenting.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the organic waste is one of DDGS, DDG, garbage, human waste, animal waste, and food waste.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the fermenting occurs in a bioreactor connected to the one of a fuel cell and a heat engine.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising heating the organic waste at a temperature effective to substantially inactivate methane-producing microorganisms, wherein the heating occurs prior to the fermenting.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising heating an inoculum at a temperature effective to substantially inactivate methane-producing microorganisms, but ineffective to substantially inactivate hydrogen-producing microorganisms, and adding the inoculum to the organic waste, wherein the heating occurs prior to the adding, and wherein the adding occurs prior to the fermenting.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein carbon dioxide is produced from the fermenting.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising separating the hydrogen from the carbon dioxide prior to the directing.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the fermenting occurs at a pH between about 4.5and about 6.5.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
providing a housing having an interior and an exterior; and
wherein the fermenting, directing and heating are performed in the interior of the housing.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the housing is a shipping container.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the heating is performed using heat from a solar collector system connected to the housing.

Assignees

• Purdue Research Foundation

Inventors

• Kramer Robert
• Pelter Libbie S
• Patterson John A

Classifications

• Y02E50/17

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• C12P7/06

  Ethanol, i.e. non-beverage · CPC title

• C02F11/04

  Anaerobic treatment; Production of methane by such processes · CPC title

• Y02E60/56

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• H01M2250/40

  Combination of fuel cells with other energy production systems · CPC title