Integrated photobioreactor-based pollution mitigation and oil extraction processes and systems
First Claim
1. An integrated oil processing and gas remediation method comprising acts of:
- processing an oil extracted from a mixture of an oil and a solid material excavated from the earth to produce a processed oil product, wherein a byproduct gas stream is produced during the processing act;
passing at least a portion of the byproduct gas stream into an inlet of a photobioreactor system containing a liquid medium therein comprising at least one species of phototrophic organisms; and
at least partially removing at least one substance from the byproduct gas stream with the phototrophic organisms, the at least one substance being utilized by the organisms for growth and reproduction.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Integrated systems including a photobioreactor system designed to contain a liquid medium comprising at least one species of phototrophic organism therein, and a facility associated with extracting and/or processing oil extracted from mixtures of oil and solid material, such as an oil sands facility, are described. Processes for using a photobioreactor system as part of a gas-treatment process and system able to at least partially remove certain undesirable pollutants from a byproduct gas stream produced by an oil sands facility are also described. Examples of such pollutants that may be removed include compounds contained within combustion gases, e.g., CO2 and/or NOx. These pollutants processed with the photobioreactor system, and, in some embodiments, biomass produced with the photobioreactor system may be utilized to produce a fuel source (e.g., biodiesel) and cutting stock for further operation of or use in the oil sands facility. Such uses of certain embodiments can provide an efficient means for recycling carbon, thereby reducing CO2 emissions, fuel, and/or cutting stock requirements for a given quantum of energy produced. In addition, in some cases the photobioreactor can be integrated with a holding pond and waste heat from the oil extraction process can be used to maintain the photobioreactor temperature and/or provide energy for other processes. Accordingly, embodiments described herein can improve the overall environmental and economic profile of the oil sands facility.
196 Citations
42 Claims
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1. An integrated oil processing and gas remediation method comprising acts of:
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processing an oil extracted from a mixture of an oil and a solid material excavated from the earth to produce a processed oil product, wherein a byproduct gas stream is produced during the processing act; passing at least a portion of the byproduct gas stream into an inlet of a photobioreactor system containing a liquid medium therein comprising at least one species of phototrophic organisms; and at least partially removing at least one substance from the byproduct gas stream with the phototrophic organisms, the at least one substance being utilized by the organisms for growth and reproduction. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. An integrated oil production and gas treatment system comprising:
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an oil extraction and processing facility configured to extract oil from a mixture of an oil and a solid material excavated from the earth and to process extracted oil to produce a processed oil product, wherein the facility comprises at least one gas outlet from which is emitted a byproduct gas stream; and a photobioreactor system containing a liquid medium comprising at least one species of phototrophic organisms, at least a portion of the photobioreactor system being configured to transmit light to the phototrophic organisms, the photobioreactor system comprising an inlet connected in fluid communication with at least one gas outlet of the facility, the photobioreactor system further comprising an outlet configured to release treated gas from the photobioreactor system. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A method of producing biomass comprising acts of:
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providing a liquid medium comprising at least one species of phototrophic organisms within a photobioreactor system; exposing at least a portion of the photobioreactor system and the at least one species of phototrophic organisms to a source of light capable of driving photosynthesis; introducing a byproduct gas stream derived at least in part from an oil extraction and processing facility configured to extract oil from a mixture of an oil and a solid material excavated from the earth and to process extracted oil to produce a processed oil product, and/or introducing a byproduct gas stream derived from a furnace and/or electrical power generating system associated with the oil extraction and processing facility, to an inlet of the photobioreactor system; and harvesting at least a portion of the phototrophic organisms from the photobioreactor system to form biomass. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42)
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Specification