Biofuel and electricity producing fuel cells and systems and methods related to same

• US 10,686,205 B2
• Filed: 05/08/2017
• Issued: 06/16/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Board of Trustees of Michigan State University (Michigan State University)
• Original Assignee: The Board of Trustees of Michigan State University (Michigan State University)
• Inventors: Reguera, Gemma, Speers, Allison, Young, Jenna
• Primary Examiner(s): Fernandez, Susan E.
• Application Number:
  US15/589,950
• Publication Number:
  US 20170271702A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,135 Days
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 39/00 Processes involving microorganisms of different genera in the same process, simultaneously
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 7/065 with microorganisms other than yeasts
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 7/08 produced as by-product or from waste or cellulosic material substrate
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 7/10 substrate containing cellulosic material
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 7/14 Multiple stages of fermentation; Multiple types of microorganisms or re-use of microorganisms
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2250/00 Fuel cells for particular applications; Specific features of fuel cell system
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/16 Biochemical fuel cells, i.e. cells in which microorganisms function as catalysts
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/22 Fuel cells in which the fuel is based on materials comprising carbon or oxygen or hydrogen and other elements; Fuel cells in which the fuel is based on materials comprising only elements other than carbon, oxygen or hydrogen
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 50/10 Biofuels, e.g. bio-diesel
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 50/30 Fuel from waste, e.g. synthetic alcohol or diesel
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/50 Fuel cells

Abstract

An electrochemical cell comprising an anode electrode, a cathode electrode and a reference electrode electronically connected to each other; a first biocatalyst comprising a consolidated bioprocessing organism (e.g., a cellulomonad or clostridium or related strains, such as Cellulomonas uda (C. uda), Clostridium lentocellum (C. lentocellum), Acetivibrio celluloyticus (A. cellulolyticus) Clostridium cellobioparum (C. cellobioparum), alcohol-tolerant C. cellobioparum, alcohol-tolerant C. uda, and combinations thereof) capable of fermenting biomass (e.g., cellulosic biomass or glycerin-containing biomass) to produce a fermentation byproduct; and a second biocatalyst comprising an electricigen (e.g., Geobacter sulfurreducens) capable of transferring substantially all the electrons in the fermentation byproduct (e.g., hydrogen, one or more organic acids, or a combination thereof) to the anode electrode to produce electricity is disclosed. Systems and methods related thereto are also disclosing a consolidated bioprocessing organism.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

a consolidated hydrolyzing and fermentation step for converting a biomass to a biofuel with a mesophilic first organism in an anode chamber, wherein the mesophilic first organism comprises at least Cellulomonas uda (Cuda), and the anode chamber contains an anode electrode, further wherein the converting step produces fermentation waste byproducts;

transferring electrons in the byproducts to the anode electrode with a second organism to produce a film; and

allowing the film to catalytically split the electrons and protons, wherein the electrons flow towards a cathode electrode to produce electricity and the protons permeate a proton-exchange membrane connecting the anode chamber and a cathode chamber, wherein the electrons and protons react to produce hydrogen gas, wherein substantially all the fermentation waste byproducts are converted to electricity.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the second organism is an electricigen comprising Geobacter sulfurreducens (Gsu).

3. The method of claim 2 where the first and second organisms are added sequentially.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the first and second organisms are added substantially simultaneously.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein the mesophilic first organism further comprises one or more additional cellulomonad organisms and/or one or more clostridia organisms.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the one or more additional cellulomonad organisms are selected from Cellulomonas biazotea, Cellulomonas cartae, Cellulomonas gelida, Cellulomonas fimi, Cellulomona flavigena, and combinations thereof, and the one or more clostridium organisms are selected from Clostridium hungatei, Clostridium papyrosolvens, Clostridium longisporum, Clostridium populeti, Clostridium cellulovorans, Clostridium phytofermentans, Clostridium lentocellum, Acetivibrio cellulolyticus, Ruminococcus albus, and combinations thereof.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising applying a potential to the anode electrode.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the biofuel is ethanol.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the biomass is a non-food biomass.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the non-food biomass is corn stover.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein a chemical reaction occurs in the cathode chamber.

12. A method comprising:

a consolidated hydrolyzing and fermentation step for converting a biomass to a product with one or more mesophilic consolidated bioprocessing organisms in a reaction chamber containing the biomass, an anode electrode and a cathode electrode, wherein at least one of the one or more mesophilic consolidated bioprocessing organisms are Cellulomonas uda (Cuda), and with a second organism comprising an electricigen disposed on the anode electrode, wherein the converting step produces fermentation waste byproducts;

transferring electrons in the fermentation waste byproducts to the anode electrode through the second organism comprising an electricigen; and

allowing the second organism to catalytically split electrons and protons from the fermentation waste byproducts, wherein the electrons flow from the anode electrode to the cathode electrode to produce electricity and the electrons and the protons react to produce hydrogen gas, wherein at least a portion of the byproducts are the fermentation waste byproducts and wherein substantially all the fermentation waste byproducts are converted to electricity.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the reaction chamber comprises a single chamber, wherein the single chamber further comprises a reference electrode.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the anode electrode, the cathode electrode and the reference electrode are electronically connected to each other and to an external electric current which creates a potential between the anode electrode and the cathode electrode.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein the reaction chamber comprises an anode chamber and a cathode chamber, wherein the anode electrode is located in the anode chamber and the cathode electrode is located in the cathode chamber, wherein the anode and cathode chambers are separated by a proton exchange membrane, wherein the anode chamber further comprises a reference electrode.

16. The method of claim 12 wherein the second organism is disposed on the anode electrode as a film.

17. The method of claim 12 wherein the electrons and the protons react at the cathode electrode.

18. The method of claim 12 wherein the product is a biofuel.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the biofuel is ethanol.

20. The method of claim 12 wherein the one or more mesophilic consolidated bioprocessing organisms comprise one or more additional cellulomonad organisms and/or one or more clostridia organisms.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein the one or more additional cellulomonad organisms are selected from Cellulomonas biazotea, Cellulomonas cartae, Cellulomonas gelida, Cellulomonas fimi, Cellulomona flavigena, and combinations thereof, and the one or more clostridium organisms are selected from Clostridium hungatei, Clostridium papyrosolvens, Clostridium longisporum, Clostridium populeti, Clostridium cellulovorans, Clostridium phytofermentans, Clostridium lentocellum, Acetivibrio cellulolyticus, Ruminococcus albus, and combinations thereof.

22. A method comprising:

a consolidated hydrolyzing and fermentation step for converting a non-food biomass comprising biodiesel and/or glycerin-containing water to a biofuel with a mesophilic first organism in an anode chamber, wherein the mesophilic first organism is not Clostridium cellulolyticum and the anode chamber contains an anode electrode, further wherein the converting step produces fermentation waste byproducts;

transferring electrons in the byproducts to the anode electrode with a second organism to produce a film; and

allowing the film to catalytically split the electrons and protons, wherein the electrons flow towards a cathode electrode to produce electricity and the protons permeate a proton-exchange membrane connecting the anode chamber and a cathode chamber, wherein the electrons and protons react to produce hydrogen gas, wherein substantially all the fermentation waste byproducts are converted to electricity.