Process for improving carbon conversion efficiency
Inventors
Mihalcea, Christophe • CONRADO, Robert • Bourdakos, Nicholas • Li, Xueliang • SIMPSON, SEAN
Assignees
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Publication Number
US-12365993-B2
Publication Date
2025-07-22
Expiration Date
Abstract
The invention provides for the integration of a CO-consuming process, such as a gas fermentation process, with a CO2 electrolysis process. The invention is capable of utilizing a CO2-comprising gaseous substrate generated by an industrial process and provides for one or more removal modules to remove at least one constituent from a CO2-comprising gaseous substrate prior to passage of the gaseous substrate to a CO2 electrolysis module. The invention may further comprise one or more pressure modules, one or more CO2 concentration modules, one or more O2 separation modules, and/or an H2 electrolysis module. Carbon conversion efficiency is increased by recycling CO2 produced by a CO-consuming process to the CO2 electrolysis process.
Core Innovation
The invention describes a system that integrates an industrial system with a CO2 electrolysis module and a bioreactor containing at least one C1-fixing microorganism. In the industrial system, a gaseous substrate output conduit is in fluid communication with a removal module comprising a CO2-treated gas stream output conduit, followed by a CO2 concentration module that produces a CO2-concentrated gas stream output conduit. The CO2 electrolysis module receives the CO2-concentrated gas stream and outputs a CO-enriched stream output conduit and a first O2-enriched stream output conduit.
The first O2-enriched stream is processed by an O2 separation module that outputs a second O2-enriched stream output conduit in fluid communication with the industrial system and an O2-lean stream output conduit. The bioreactor is in fluid communication with the CO-enriched stream output conduit and the O2-lean stream output conduit, and the bioreactor comprises a tail gas stream output conduit in fluid communication with the removal module. The bioreactor further comprises a fermentation products output conduit.
In the described integration, the industrial side provides a CO2-treated gas stream that is concentrated and fed to CO2 electrolysis to generate a CO-enriched stream for the C1-fixing microorganism culture. The oxygen management includes providing an O2-enriched stream to the industrial system while routing an O2-lean stream to the bioreactor, and the bioreactor tail gas is returned to the removal module. The overall arrangement supports recycling via the bioreactor tail gas stream output conduit and the removal module to maintain a coordinated CO2/CO-containing processing pathway.
Claims Coverage
The provided independent claim is clm-00001, which specifies a multi-module integrated system. Across the provided material, nine inventive features are identified, refining the industrial system, the removal module, the microorganism selection, and downstream fuel-component conversion.
Integrated industrial gas processing with removal and CO2 concentration feeding electrolysis
A system comprising an industrial system with a gaseous substrate output conduit in fluid communication with a removal module having a CO2-treated gas stream output conduit, and a CO2 concentration module in fluid communication with the CO2-treated gas stream output conduit to provide a CO2-concentrated gas stream output conduit.
CO2 electrolysis producing CO-enriched and O2-enriched streams
A system comprising a CO2 electrolysis module in fluid communication with the CO2-concentrated gas stream output conduit and comprising a CO-enriched stream output conduit and a first O2-enriched stream output conduit.
O2 separation delivering O2 back to the industrial system and O2-lean stream to the bioreactor
An O2 separation module in fluid communication with the first O2-enriched stream output conduit and comprising a second O2-enriched stream output conduit in fluid communication with the industrial system and an O2-lean stream output conduit.
Bioreactor with C1-fixing microorganism fed by CO-enriched and O2-lean streams with tail gas returned to removal module
A bioreactor comprising a culture of at least one C1-fixing microorganism in fluid communication with the CO-enriched stream output conduit and the O2-lean stream output conduit, wherein the bioreactor comprises a tail gas stream output conduit in fluid communication with the removal module and a fermentation products output conduit.
Industrial system performs selected industrial process options
The industrial system performs an industrial process selected from at least one of carbohydrate fermentation, cement making, steel making, oil refining, Fischer-Tropsch processes, methanol production, pyrolysis, steam methane reforming, dry methane reforming, partial oxidation of biogas or natural gas, autothermal reforming of biogas or natural gas, anaerobic digestion, aerobic digestion, gasification, natural gas extraction, oil extraction, metallurgical processes, production and/or refinement of aluminum, copper, ferroalloys, and geological reservoirs, with any mixture thereof.
Removal module selected from enumerated removal module types
The removal module is selected from hydrolysis, acid gas removal, deoxygenation, catalytic hydrogenation, particulate removal, chloride removal, tar removal, hydrogen cyanide polishing, or any combination thereof.
Carboxydotrophic bacterium selection from enumerated genera/species
The at least one C1-fixing microorganism is a carboxydotrophic bacterium selected from Moorella, Clostridium, Ruminococcus, Acetobacterium, Eubacterium, Butyribacterium, Oxobacter, Methanosarcina, and Desulfotomaculum.
Pressure module added in the industrial gas train
A first pressure module in fluid communication with the gaseous substrate output conduit and the removal module.
Conversion of fermentation products into specified fuel-component conversion systems
A conversion process system that converts the fermentation products output conduit into a diesel fuel component conversion process system, a jet fuel component conversion process system, and/or a gasoline fuel component conversion process system.
Overall, the claim coverage centers on integrating industrial removal and CO2 concentration with CO2 electrolysis to generate a CO-enriched stream and an O2-lean stream. The bioreactor uses a culture of at least one C1-fixing microorganism fed by the CO-enriched and O2-lean streams, while tail gas is routed back to the removal module. Dependent claims further narrow the industrial process selection, constrain the removal module types, specify allowable carboxydotrophic microorganisms, optionally add a pressure module, and optionally convert fermentation products into diesel, jet, and/or gasoline fuel component conversion systems.
Stated Advantages
Improve carbon capture and conversion efficiency via recycling the tail gas comprising CO2 back through removal/concentration and into CO2 electrolysis.
Documented Applications
No documented applications found
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