PROCESS AND EQUIPMENT TO SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCE CO2 EMISSIONS FROM DIRECT CARBON FUEL CELLS WITHOUT MATERIALLY INCREASING THE COST OF GENERATING ELECTRICITY
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Accused Products
Abstract
A carbon-based energy system including an apparatus for generating electricity and byproduct CO2, a photosynthesis bioreactor that converts CO2, and a CO2 storage unit. In one embodiment, the energy system includes a direct carbon fuel cell (DCFC), a photosynthetic bioreactor, and a thermoacoustic cooler. Also provided is a method for reducing CO2 emission in energy systems achieved by coupling a photosynthetic bioreactor and a CO2 storage system with an energy system wherein the CO2 produced by the energy system is converted to biomass during light hours and is stored during dark hours.
13 Citations
35 Claims
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1-15. -15. (canceled)
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16. An energy system comprising a direct carbon fuel cell (DCFC), a photosynthesis bioreactor and a thermoacoustic cooler,
wherein the DCFC generates electricity and byproduct CO2, the thermoacoustic cooler cools the byproduct CO2 and is powered at least in part by waste heat generated from the DCFC, and the photosynthesis bioreactor uses the byproduct CO2 to convert said byproduct CO2 to biomass.
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25. A method for reducing CO2 gas emission produced by a direct carbon fuel cell (DCFC), the method comprising,
routing hot CO2 gas produced by the DCFC through a thermoacoustic cooler to produce cooled CO2 gas; -
routing the cooled CO2 gas through a photosynthesis bioreactor to produce biomass during a light period; and further cooling the cooled CO2 gas in the thermoacoustic cooler to produce dry ice for storage during a dark period. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 34, 35)
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33. An energy system comprising a direct carbon fuel cell (DCFC), a photosynthesis bioreactor, a thermoacoustic cooler, and a first and second heat exchange system,
wherein the thermoacoustic cooler cools CO2 generated by the DCFC; -
wherein the cooled CO2 is moved through the first heat exchange system to provide further cooled CO2; wherein during a light period, the further cooled CO2 is moved to the photosynthesis bioreactor to produce biomass and moved through the second heat exchange system to dry said biomass; and wherein during a dark period, the further cooled CO2 is refrigerated in the thermoacoustic cooler to form dry ice.
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Specification