Hydrogen production with photosynthetic organisms and from biomass derived therefrom

• US 20050064577A1
• Filed: 08/23/2004
• Published: 03/24/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: GreenFuel Technologies Corporatio
• Original Assignee: IHI INC. (IHI Corporation)
• Inventors: Berzin, Isaac
• Application Number:
  US10/924,742
• Publication Number:
  US 20050064577A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 435/266
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/85 with gas-solid contact
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 21/02 Photobioreactors culturing algae A01G33/00, A01H4/001, C12N1/12
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 23/58 Reaction vessels connected in series or in parallel combinations of bioreactors with other apparatus, C12M43/00
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 29/06 Nozzles; Sprayers; Spargers; Diffusers per se B01F23/231, B01J19/26
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 41/00 Means for regulation, monitoring, measurement or control, e.g. flow regulation controlling or regulating chemical, physical or physicochemical processes B01J19/0006; heating or cooling apparatus for laboratory use B01L7/00; electro optical investigation of individual particles, flow cytometers G01N15/14; automatic analysis G01N35/00; controlling or regulating in general G06N
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 41/48 Automatic or computerized control automatic analysis G01N35/00
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 43/06 Photobioreactors combined with devices or plants for gas production different from a bioreactor of fermenter
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 50/20 Air quality improvement or preservation, e.g. vehicle emission control or emission reduction by using catalytic converters
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 20/59 Biological synthesis; Biological purification

Abstract

Certain embodiments and aspects of the present invention relate to photobioreactor apparatus designed to contain a liquid medium comprising at least one species of photosynthetic organism therein, and to methods of using the photobioreactor apparatus as part of a hydrogen production process and system configured to generate hydrogen with and/or from biomass produced in the photobioreactor apparatus. In certain embodiments, the disclosed hydrogen production systems and methods, photobioreactor apparatus, methods of using such apparatus, and/or gas treatment systems and methods provided herein can be utilized as part of an integrated combustion and hydrogen production method and system, wherein photosynthetic organisms utilized within the photobioreactor are used to at least partially remove certain pollutant compounds contained within combustion gases, e.g. CO₂ and/or NO_x, and are subsequently harvested from the photobioreactor, processed, and utilized as a fuel source for generating hydrogen and/or as a fuel source for a combustion device (e.g. an electric power plant generator and/or incinerator).

Claims

6. A method of producing hydrogen comprising:

growing at least one species of algae in a photobioreactor system comprising a plurality of enclosed photobioreactor apparatuses; and

generating hydrogen with the algae.

7. A method as in claim 6, further comprising after the growing act, an act of:

harvesting at least a portion of the photosynthetic organisms from the bioreactor to form biomass.

8. A method as in claim 7, wherein the generating act comprises generating hydrogen from the biomass.

9. A method as in claim 6, wherein the generating act comprises generating hydrogen via metabolism of the at least one species of algae in the photobioreactor system.

10. A method as in claim 6, wherein at least one of the photobioreactor apparatuses comprises at least a first, a second, and a third fluidically interconnected conduits, at least one of which is at least partially transparent to light of a wavelength capable of driving photosynthesis, the conduits together providing a flow loop enabling a liquid medium contained within the photobioreactor to flow sequentially from a region of origin within the flow loop through the first, second, and third conduits and back to the region of origin.

11. A method as in claim 10, wherein the region of origin comprises a liquid header in fluid communication with one end of the first conduit and one end of the third conduit.

12. A method as in claim 11, wherein the photobioreactor system further comprises a second liquid header in fluid communication with one end of the second conduit and the other end of the third conduit.

13. A method as in claim 12, wherein the first liquid header and the second liquid header are elongated end are in fluid communication with a plurality of fluidically interconnected conduits that are arranged to provide a plurality of flow loops, each of the flow loops comprising one of the plurality of enclosed photobioreactor apparatuses, and each of the flow loops comprising at least a first, a second, and a third fluidically interconnected conduit fluidically interconnected to each other such that the liquid medium contained within each flow loop is able to flow sequentially from the first header through the first conduit to and through the second conduit, into the second header, and through the third conduit so that the liquid returns to the first liquid header.

14. A method of producing hydrogen comprising acts of:

providing a liquid medium comprising at least one species of photosynthetic organisms within an enclosed photobioreactor;

exposing at least a portion of the photobioreactor and the at least one species of photosynthetic organisms to sunlight as a source of light driving photosynthesis;

harvesting at least a portion of the photosynthetic organisms from the bioreactor to form biomass; and

generating hydrogen from the biomass.

15. A method as in claim 14, further comprising drying the biomass.

16. A method as in claim 14, wherein the generating act further comprises an act of gasification or pyrolysis of the biomass.

17. A method as in claim 16, wherein the generating act further comprises reacting a gas produced by the gasification or pyrolysis act to form hydrogen gas.

18. A method as in claim 14, wherein the generating act comprises subjecting the biomass to bacterial digestion.

19. A method as in claim 14, comprising establishing a flow of the liquid medium comprising at least one species of photosynthetic organisms within the photobioreactor.

20. A method as in claim 19, further comprising acts of:

calculating a first exposure interval of the photosynthetic organisms to the light at an intensity sufficient to drive photosynthesis and a second exposure interval of the photosynthetic organisms to dark or the light at an intensity insufficient to drive photosynthesis required to yield a selected growth rate of the photosynthetic organisms within the photobioreactor; and

controlling the flow of the liquid medium within the photobioreactor based on the exposure intervals determined in the calculating act.

21. A method as in claim 19, further comprising acts of:

performing a simulation of liquid flow patterns within the photobioreactor and, from the simulation, determining a first exposure interval of the photosynthetic organisms to light at an intensity sufficient to drive photosynthesis and a second exposure interval of the photosynthetic organisms to dark or light at an intensity insufficient to drive photosynthesis;

calculating from the first exposure interval and the second exposure interval a predicted growth rate of the photosynthetic organisms within the photobioreactor; and

controlling the flow of the liquid medium within the photobioreactor so as to yield a selected first exposure interval and a selected second exposure interval of the photosynthetic organisms to achieve a desired predicted growth rate as determined in the calculating act.

22. A method as in claim 14, further comprising acts of:

introducing a stream of gas to be treated to the photobioreactor; and

at least partially removing from the gas with the photobioreactor CO₂ and/or NO_x.

23. A method as in claim 22, wherein the gas introduced in the introducing act comprises combustion gas derived from a power generating apparatus and/or an incinerator.

24. A method as in claim 20, wherein in the controlling act, the flow of the liquid medium is controlled utilizing a computer implemented system configured to perform a simulation of liquid flow patterns within the photobioreactor, and, from the simulation, to determine a computed actual first exposure interval of the photosynthetic organisms to the light at an intensity sufficient to drive photosynthesis and a second computed actual exposure interval of the photosynthetic organisms to dark or the light at an intensity insufficient to drive photosynthesis and to establish a flow of the liquid medium within the bioreactor selected to minimize the difference between the computed actual first and second exposure intervals and the first and second exposure intervals calculated in the calculating act.

25. A method as in claim 21, wherein predicted growth rate calculated in the calculating act from the first and second exposure intervals is determined utilizing a mathematical model that simulates the growth rate of the photosynthetic organisms when exposed to alternating periods of exposure to light at an intensity sufficient to drive photosynthesis and exposure to light at an intensity insufficient to drive photosynthesis.

26. A method as in claim 25, further comprising, before the calculating act:

determining at least one adjustable parameter of at least one equation utilized in the mathematical model by curve fitting the at least one equation to growth rate versus light exposure interval data generated using a pilot-scale bioreactor containing a liquid medium comprising the at least one species of photosynthetic organisms.

27. A method as in claim 24, wherein the first and second exposure intervals required to yield a selected growth rate calculated in the calculating act are determined utilizing a mathematical model that simulates the growth rate of the photosynthetic organisms when exposed to alternating periods of exposure to light at an intensity sufficient to drive photosynthesis and exposure to light at an intensity insufficient to drive photosynthesis.

28. A method as in claim 27, further comprising, before the calculating act:

determining at least one adjustable parameter of at least one equation utilized in the mathematical model by curve fitting the at least one equation to growth rate versus light exposure interval data generated using a pilot-scale bioreactor containing a liquid medium comprising the at least one species of photosynthetic organisms.

29. A method as in claim 24, wherein the photobioreactor comprises at least a first and a second fluidically interconnected conduits, a first gas sparger configured and positioned to introduce a gas stream into the first conduit, and a second gas sparger configured and positioned to introduce a gas stream into the second conduit, and wherein

the computer implemented system is further configured to control the flow of the liquid medium within the photobioreactor by controlling the overall flow rate of the gas to be treated by the photobioreactor and the distribution of the overall flow rate of the gas to the first and second gas spargers.

30. A method as in claim 19, wherein

the photobioreactor comprises a least a first, a second, and a third fluidically interconnected conduits, at least one of which is at least partially transparent to sunlight, the conduits together providing a flow loop enabling the liquid medium contained within the photobioreactor to flow sequentially from a region of origin within the flow loop through the first, second, and third conduits and back to the region of origin, wherein

the first, second, and third conduits are constructed and arranged so that at least one of the conduits forms an angle, with respect to the horizontal, that differs from an angle formed with respect to the horizontal of at least one of the other conduits, and wherein

at least one of the conduits forms an angle, with respect to the horizontal, of greater than 10 degrees and less than 90 degrees.

31. A method as in claim 19, wherein the establishing act comprises:

introducing a first stream of a gas to be treated by the photobioreactor to a first gas sparger configured and positioned to introduce the gas stream into a first conduit of the photobioreactor;

introducing a second stream of the gas to be treated by the photobioreactor to a second gas sparger configured and positioned to introduce the gas stream into a second conduit of the photobioreactor;

inducing the liquid medium to flow in the first conduit in a direction that is counter-current to a direction of flow of gas bubbles formed from the first stream of gas introduced into the first conduit; and

inducing the liquid medium to flow in the second conduit in a direction that is co-current to a direction of a flow of gas bubbles formed from the second stream of gas introduced into the second conduit.

32. A method as in claim 14, wherein the at least one species of photosynthetic organisms within the photobioreactor comprises algae.

33. A method of producing hydrogen comprising acts of:

providing a liquid medium comprising at least one species of photosynthetic organisms within a photobioreactor system comprising a plurality of enclosed photobioreactor apparatuses;

exposing at least a portion of at least one of the photobioreactor apparatuses and the at least one species of photosynthetic organisms therein to sunlight as a source of light driving photosynthesis;

harvesting at least a portion of the photosynthetic organisms from a bioreactor exposed to the sunlight to form biomass; and

generating hydrogen from the biomass.

34. A hydrogen production system comprising:

a photobioreactor system comprising a plurality of enclosed photobioreactor apparatuses and containing a liquid medium therein comprising at least one species of photosynthetic organisms, at least a portion of at least one photobioreactor apparatus being configured to transmit light to the photosynthetic organisms, and the photobioreactor system comprising an inlet configured to be connectable to a source of gas to be treated and an outlet configured to release treated gas from the photobioreactor system; and

a hydrogen generating system configured to produce hydrogen gas from biomass comprising photosynthetic organisms harvested from the photobioreactor system.

35. A system as in claim 34, wherein the photobioreactor system further comprises a fluid circulator constructed and arranged to establish a flow of the liquid medium within the photobioreactor system.

36. A system as in claim 34, wherein the at least one species of photosynthetic organisms within the photobioreactor system comprises algae.

37. A system as in claim 36, further comprising a dryer configured to dry algae harvested from the photobioreactor system to form dried algal biomass.

38. A system as in claim 34, wherein the hydrogen generating system comprises at least one device configured to form a gas from the biomass through a pyrolysis process or other gasification process.

39. A system as in claim 38, wherein the hydrogen generating system further comprises a gas reactor configured to produce hydrogen gas from the gas formed by the at least one device configured to form a gas from the biomass through a pyrolysis process or other gasification process.

40. A system as in claim 34, wherein the hydrogen generating system comprises at least one bacterial fermenter configured to form hydrogen gas from the biomass.

41. A system as in claim 35, further comprising:

a computer implemented system configured to perform a simulation of liquid flow patterns within the at least one photobioreactor apparatus and, from the simulation, to calculate a first exposure interval of the photosynthetic organisms to light at an intensity sufficient to drive photosynthesis and a second exposure interval of the photosynthetic organisms to dark or light at an intensity insufficient to drive photosynthesis and to control the flow of the liquid medium within the at least one photobioreactor apparatus so as to yield a selected first exposure interval and a selected second exposure interval of the photosynthetic organisms.

42. A system as in claim 34, wherein the photobioreactor system comprises at least one gas inlet configured and positioned to introduce a stream of gas to be treated into the photobioreactor system, and wherein the photosynthetic organisms within the liquid medium, once it has been exposed to the stream of gas are able to at least partially remove from the gas CO₂ and/or NO_x.

43. A system as in claim 42, wherein the at least one gas inlet is connected in fluid communication with a source of combustion gas derived from a power generating apparatus and/or an incinerator.

44. A system as in claim 41, wherein the selected first exposure interval and the selected second exposure interval are those yielding a desired average growth rate of the photosynthetic organisms as determined by a mathematical model that simulates the growth rate of the photosynthetic organisms when exposed to alternating periods of exposure to light at an intensity sufficient to drive photosynthesis and exposure to light at an intensity insufficient to drive photosynthesis.

45. A system as in claim 41, wherein the computer implemented system is further configured to calculate the selected first exposure interval of the photosynthetic organisms to the light at an intensity sufficient to drive photosynthesis and the selected second exposure interval of the photosynthetic organisms to dark or the light at an intensity insufficient to drive photosynthesis required to yield a desired growth rate of the photosynthetic organisms within the at least one photobioreactor apparatus, utilizing a mathematical model that simulates the growth rate of the photosynthetic organisms when exposed to alternating periods of exposure to light at an intensity sufficient to drive photosynthesis and exposure to light at an intensity insufficient to drive photosynthesis, and to establish a flow of the liquid medium within the at least one photobioreactor apparatus selected to minimize the difference between the first and second exposure intervals calculated from the simulation of liquid flow patterns and the selected first and second exposure intervals calculated from the mathematical model that simulates the growth rate of the photosynthetic organisms.

46. A system as in claim 44., further comprising

at least one sensor that is configured to monitor at least one environmental or performance condition of the photobioreactor system during operation, wherein

the computer implemented system is further configured to receive a signal from the at least one sensor.

47. A system as in claim 46, wherein the computer implemented system is further configured to utilize the at least one signal from the at least one sensor in calculating the first and second exposure intervals from the simulation of liquid flow patterns.

48. A system as in claim 47, wherein the at least one sensor is configured to monitor at least one condition selected from the group consisting of:

light intensity incident on the at least one photobioreactor apparatus;

optical density and/or turbidity of the liquid medium within the at least one photobioreactor apparatus;

gas input flow rate to the at least one photobioreactor apparatus;

liquid medium flow rate within the at least one photobioreactor apparatus;

temperature of the liquid medium within the at least one photobioreactor apparatus; and

temperature of a gas stream supplied to the at least one photobioreactor apparatus.

49. A system as in claim 48, wherein the computer implemented system is configured to account for changes in the at least one signal received from the at least one sensor in controlling the flow of the liquid medium within the at least one photobioreactor apparatus in essentially real-time.

50. A system as in claim 44, wherein the at least one photobioreactor apparatus comprises at least a first and a second fluidically interconnected conduits, and the photobioreactor system comprises a first gas sparger configured and positioned to introduce a gas stream into the first conduit and a second gas sparger configured and positioned to introduce a gas stream into the second conduit, and wherein

the computer implemented system is further configured to control the flow of the liquid medium within the at least one photobioreactor apparatus by controlling the overall flow rate of the gas to be treated by the at least one photobioreactor apparatus and the distribution of the overall flow rate of the gas to the first and second gas spargers.

51. A system as in claim 50, wherein the computer implemented system is further configured to control the overall flow rate of the gas and the distribution of the overall flow rate of the gas to the first and second gas spargers so as to induce a liquid flow in the first conduit having a direction that is counter-current to a direction of flow of gas bubbles in the first conduit and so as to induce a liquid flow in the second conduit having a direction that is co-current to a direction of flow of gas bubbles in the second conduit.

52. A system as in claim 35, wherein

the at least one photobioreactor apparatus comprises at least a first, a second, and a third fluidically interconnected conduits, at least one of which is at least partially transparent to light, the conduits together providing a flow loop enabling the liquid medium contained within the at least one photobioreactor apparatus to flow sequentially from a region of origin within the flow loop through the first, second, and third conduits and back to the region of origin, wherein

the first, second, and third conduits are constructed and arranged so that at least one of the conduits forms an angle, with respect to the horizontal, that differs from an angle formed with respect to the horizontal of at least one of the other conduits, and wherein

at least one of the conduits forms an angle, with respect to the horizontal, of greater than 10 degrees and less than 90 degrees.

53. A system for producing hydrogen comprising:

a photobioreactor;

means for propagating at least one species of photosynthetic organisms within the photobioreactor;

means for exposing at least a portion of the photobioreactor and the at least one species of photosynthetic organisms to sunlight as a source of light driving photosynthesis;

means for harvesting biomass comprising photosynthetic organisms from the photobioreactor; and

means for forming hydrogen gas from harvested biomass.

54. A method for facilitating the production of hydrogen comprising an act of:

providing biomass produced in an enclosed photobioreactor exposed to sunlight as a source of light driving photosynthesis.

55. A method as in claim 54, wherein the biomass is produced in a photobioreactor supplied with a feed gas comprising CO₂ and/or NO_x, at least one of which is at least partially removed from the feed gas by at least one species of photosynthetic organism during biomass production in the photobioreactor.

56. A method as in claim 54, wherein the at least one species of photosynthetic organism comprises algae and the biomass comprises algal biomass.

57. A method of claim 54, further comprising an act of:

producing the biomass provided in the providing act.

58. A method as in claim 54, wherein the feed gas comprises combustion gas derived from a power generating apparatus and/or incinerator.

59. A method as in claim 54, further comprising an act of:

providing instructions for generating and/or directions to generate hydrogen from the biomass.

60. A method for facilitating the production of hydrogen comprising an act of:

providing biomass produced in a photobioreactor system comprising a plurality of enclosed photobioreactor apparatuses.

61. A method of producing hydrogen comprising acts of:

obtaining biomass produced in an enclosed photobioreactor exposed to sunlight as a source of light driving photosynthesis; and

generating hydrogen from the biomass.

62. A method as in claim 61, wherein the biomass is produced in a photobioreactor supplied with a feed gas comprising CO₂ and/or NO_x, at least one of which is at least partially removed from the feed gas by at least one species of photosynthetic organism during biomass production in the photobioreactor.

63. A method as in claim 61, wherein the at least one species of photosynthetic organism comprises algae and the biomass comprises algal biomass.

64. A method as in claim 63, wherein the generating act further comprises an act of gasification or pyrolysis of the biomass.

65. A method as in claim 64, wherein the generating act further comprises reacting a gas produced by the gasification or pyrolysis act to form hydrogen gas.

66. A method as in claim 63, wherein the generating act comprises subjecting the biomass to bacterial digestion to form hydrogen gas.

67. A method of producing hydrogen comprising acts of:

obtaining biomass produced in a photobioreactor system comprising a plurality of enclosed photobioreactor apparatuses; and

generating hydrogen from the biomass.

68. An integrated combustion and hydrogen production method comprising acts of:

burning a fuel with a combustion device to produce a combustion gas stream;

passing the combustion gas to an inlet of an enclosed photobioreactor containing a liquid medium therein comprising at least one species of photosynthetic organisms and exposed to sunlight as a source of light driving photosynthesis;

at least partially removing at least one substance from the combustion gas with the photosynthetic organisms, the at least one substance being utilized by the organisms for growth and reproduction;

removing at least a portion of the at least one species of photosynthetic organisms from the photobioreactor to form a biomass product; and

using at least a portion of the biomass product to produce hydrogen gas.

69. An integrated combustion and hydrogen production method as in claim 68, further comprising an act of:

feeding the combustion gas stream to a dryer and cooling the combustion gas stream in the dryer, thereby forming a cooled combustion gas that comprises the combustion gas passed to the inlet of the photobioreactor in the passing act.

70. An integrated combustion and hydrogen production method as in claim 69, the removing act comprises:

removing at least a portion of the liquid medium comprising the at least one species of photosynthetic organisms from the photobioreactor; and

drying the liquid medium with the dryer fed with the combustion gas in the feeding act to produce a dried biomass product.

71. An integrated combustion and hydrogen production method as in claim 70, further comprising an act of:

using at least a portion of the dried biomass product as the fuel and/or to produce the fuel burned in the burning act.

72. An integrated combustion method and hydrogen production method as in claim 68, wherein the combustion device comprises or forms part of an electricity generating and/or incineration facility.

73. An integrated combustion method and hydrogen production method as in claim 68, wherein the at least one substance at least partially removed from the combustion gas in the at least partially removing act comprises CO₂ and/or NO_X.

74. An integrated combustion method and hydrogen production method as in claim 68, further comprising, after the at least partially removing act, an act of:

releasing treated gas from a gas outlet of the photobioreactor.

75. An integrated combustion method and hydrogen production method as claim 74, wherein the treated gas is released from the gas outlet of the photobioreactor and directed, directly or indirectly, to an inlet of a smoke stack.

76. An integrated combustion method and hydrogen production method as in claim 68, wherein the at least one species of photosynthetic organisms comprises algae and wherein the dried biomass product comprises a dried algal biomass product.

77. An integrated combustion method and hydrogen production method as in claim 76, wherein the dried algal biomass product is used to produce at least one fuel product comprising an oil and/or a combustible organic gas.

78. An integrated combustion method and hydrogen production method as in claim 68, wherein the using act comprises:

producing an organic gas from the biomass product through pyrolysis or gasification of the biomass product.

79. An integrated combustion method and hydrogen production method as in claim 78, wherein the using act further comprises:

reacting the organic gas with water to produce a product gas comprising hydrogen gas.

80. An integrated combustion method and hydrogen production method as in claim 78, wherein the using act further comprises:

separating the hydrogen gas from other gases in the product gas to produce purified hydrogen gas and at least one by-product gas.

81. An integrated combustion method and hydrogen production method as in claim 80, wherein the at least one by-product gas comprises CO₂.

83. An integrated combustion method and hydrogen production method as in claim 81, further comprising an act of:

passing at least a portion of the at least one by-product gas to the inlet of the photobioreactor.

85. An integrated combustion method and hydrogen production method as in claim 68, wherein the using act comprises:

producing a product gas comprising hydrogen gas from the biomass product through bacterial fermentation of the biomass product.

86. An integrated combustion method and hydrogen production method as in claim 85, wherein the using act further comprises:

separating the hydrogen gas from other gases in the product gas to produce purified hydrogen gas and at least one by-product gas.

87. An integrated combustion method and hydrogen production method as in claim 86, wherein the at least one by-product gas comprises CO₂.

88. An integrated combustion method and hydrogen production method as in claim 87, further comprising an act of:

passing at least a portion of the at least one by-product gas to the inlet of the photobioreactor.

82-1. An integrated combustion method and hydrogen production method as in claim 82, further comprising an act of:

passing at least a portion of the at least one by-product gas to the inlet of the photobioreactor.

89. An integrated combustion and hydrogen production method comprising acts of:

burning a fuel with a combustion device to produce a combustion gas stream;

passing the combustion gas to an inlet of a photobioreactor system comprising a plurality of enclosed photobioreactor apparatuses and containing a liquid medium therein comprising at least one species of photosynthetic organisms;

at least partially removing at least one substance from the combustion gas with the photosynthetic organisms, the at least one substance being utilized by the organisms for growth and reproduction;

removing at least a portion of the at least one species of photosynthetic organisms from the photobioreactor system to form a biomass product; and

using at least a portion of the biomass product to produce hydrogen gas.