METHOD FOR ESTABLISHING SYNERGISM BETWEEN RENEWABLE ENERGY PRODUCTION AND FOSSIL ENERGY PRODUCTION
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Abstract
A method and system for synergism between a renewable energy system and a fossil energy system for the production of marketable energy forms. Fossil-energy-assisted, renewable energy production or renewable-energy-assisted, fossil energy production uses coal, hydrocarbon fuel oil, or natural gas as the fossil energy source. The renewable energy is from the cultivation of microalgae and the extraction of its oil content, production of methane, and coincidentally-produced oxygen. The products and by-products from the fossil energy production are used for the cultivation of algae and the products and by-products from algae cultivation are used to reduce the consumption of fossil energy in the energy production. The synergism is the interchange of these products and by-products such that the net marketable energy production results in maximizing the use of renewable (solar) energy, minimizing the use of fossil fuel, and minimizing emissions of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere.
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Citations
39 Claims
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1-17. -17. (canceled)
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18. A method of processing carbon dioxide in an algae cultivation and processing system, comprising:
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generating energy products and accepting a by-product of carbon dioxide from a fossil-fuel based system; using the by-product carbon dioxide from the fossil-fuel based system to produce algae from either or both solar radiation and artificial illumination, recovering the oil content of the algae and Providing streams of oxygen and algae oil to the fossil-fuel based system. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. A system for capturing carbon dioxide produced in a conventional fossil-energy production system through establishing synergism between the conventional fossil-energy production system and a renewable energy production, comprising:
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a fossil-energy production system that combusts virtually all of the carbon in a hydrocarbon fuel to carbon dioxide, that avoids the presence of carbon monoxide through the use of atmospheric air in excess of the theoretical requirement, and that captures the carbon dioxide in the combustion gases as an essentially pure stream of carbon dioxide through the use of a conventional carbon dioxide absorption process; means for exporting the essentially-pure, captured carbon dioxide stream from the fossil-energy production system; a renewable-energy production system that receives the captured carbon dioxide from the fossil-energy production system for the cultivation of algae biomass and a stream of essentially pure oxygen; means in the renewable-energy production system for processing the algae biomass to produce a combustible algae oil and a carbon-rich algae biomass residue; and means in the fossil-energy production system to utilize the stream of essentially pure oxygen from the renewable-energy production system whereby the proportion of oxygen in the combustion air of the fossil-energy production system is increased. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
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33. A system for capturing and sequestering the carbon dioxide produced in a fossil-energy production system through establishing synergism between the conventional fossil-energy production system and renewable energy production, comprising:
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means provided within the fossil-energy production system for recirculating a portion of the product gases from the complete combustion of a hydrocarbon fuel such that the stream of recirculated gases contains essentially pure carbon dioxide that can substitute for the nitrogen content of air; means for substituting the oxygen in air by the essentially-pure stream of oxygen from the renewable-energy production system with the recirculating stream of essentially pure carbon dioxide to produce the oxidant for combusting a hydrocarbon fuel; means for capturing the carbon dioxide in the remaining portion of the product gases from combustion and exporting the captured carbon dioxide to the renewable-energy production system; a renewable-energy production system for the cultivation and processing of algae that receives the captured carbon dioxide from the fossil-energy production system and produces a stream of essentially pure (near 100%) oxygen; means in the renewable-energy production system for processing the algae biomass to produce a combustible algae oil and a carbon-rich algae biomass residue; means in the fossil-energy production system to receive the stream of essentially pure oxygen and to combine this stream in proportion with the recirculated stream of essentially pure carbon dioxide to produce the oxidant for combusting the hydrocarbon fuel that contains the equivalent of the oxygen content of air; and means for increasing the proportion of oxygen in the oxidant thereby reducing the carbon dioxide content. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35, 37, 38, 39)
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36. The system of 33 including:
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means for providing temperature-controlled water required for algae cultivation and for other requirements in the renewable-energy or fossil-energy production systems, and means for providing temperature control through refrigeration installations within the renewable-energy production system.
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Specification