PROCESSING BIOMASS FOR USE IN FUEL CELLS

• US 20140004427A1
• Filed: 09/03/2013
• Published: 01/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Xyleco, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Xyleco, Inc.
• Inventors: MEDOFF, Marshall, MASTERMAN, Thomas Craig
• Application Number:
  US14/016,477
• Publication Number:
  US 20140004427A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 429/401
• CPC Class Codes: C08H 8/00 Macromolecular compounds derived from lignocellulosic materials pretreatment thereof B27N
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 19/02 Monosaccharides 2-ketogulonic acid C12P7/60
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 19/14 produced by the action of a carbohydrase (EC 3.2.x), e.g. by alpha-amylase , e.g. by cellulase, hemicellulase
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 2201/00 Pretreatment of cellulosic or lignocellulosic material for subsequent enzymatic treatment or hydrolysis
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 7/10 substrate containing cellulosic material
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/06 Combination of fuel cells with means for production of reactants or for treatment of residues regenerative fuel cells H01M8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/1009 with one of the reactants being liquid, solid or liquid-charged H01M8/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/16 Biochemical fuel cells, i.e. cells in which microorganisms function as catalysts
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 50/10 Biofuels, e.g. bio-diesel
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/50 Fuel cells

Abstract

Biomass (e.g., plant biomass, animal biomass, and municipal waste biomass) is processed to produce a carbohydrate solution that can be used in a fuel cell, e.g., a direct glucose fuel cell.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

utilizing, in a fuel cell, a sugar solution comprising saccharified cellulosic or lignocellulosic material.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the fuel cell is selected from the group consisting of direct sugar fuel cells, indirect sugar fuel cells and biological fuel cells.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein prior to saccharification, the recalcitrance of the cellulosic or lignocellulosic material is reduced relative to that of the cellulosic or lignocellulosic material in its native state.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the method of reducing the recalcitrance of the material is selected from the group consisting of mechanically treating, chemically treating, sonicating, pyrolyzing, irradiating, oxidizing, steam exploding and combinations thereof.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the method of reducing recalcitrance of the material comprises irradiation the material with ionizing radiation.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein irradiation comprises irradiation with a dose of at least 10 Mrad.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein ionizing radiation comprises electron beam irradiation.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the cellulosic or lignoceilulosic biomass is selected from the group consisting of:

paper, paper products, paper waste, paper pulp, pigmented papers, loaded papers, coated papers, filled papers, magazines, printed matter, printer paper, polycoated paper, card stock, cardboard, paperboard, offal, cotton, wood, particle board., forestry wastes, sawdust, aspen wood, wood chips, grasses, switchgrass, miscanthus, cord grass, reed canary grass, grain residues, rice hulls, oat hulls, wheat chaff, barley hulls, agricultural waste, silage, canola straw, wheat straw, barley straw, oat straw, rice straw, jute, hemp, flax, bamboo, sisal, abaca, corn cobs, corn stover, soybean stover, corn fiber, alfalfa, hay, coconut hair, sugar processing residues, bagasse, beet pulp, agave bagasse, algae, seaweed, manure, sewage, arracacha, buckwheat, banana, barley, cassava, kudzu, oca, sago, sorghum, potato, sweet potato, taro, yams, beans, vas, lentils, peas, and mixtures of any of these.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising mechanically treating the cellulosic or lignocellulosic material to reduce the bulk density of the material and/or increase its surface area.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising utilizing an additive in the fuel cell.

12. A fuel cell comprising:

an electrode and saccharified cellulosic or lignocellulosic biomass.

13. A method for producing electricity, the method comprising:

providing a fuel to a fuel cell, wherein

the fuel is produced by saccharifying a treated lignocellulosic material.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the treatment of the lignocellulosic material is selected from the group consisting of sonication, pyrolysis, irradiation, oxidation, steam explosion and combinations thereof.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising contacting the lignocellulosic material with an enzyme.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the enzyme is a cellulase.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the fuel comprises a sugar.

18. The method of claim 13, further comprising fermenting the saccharified treated lignocellulosic material to produce the fuel.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the fuel is an alcohol.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein treating the lignocellulosic material comprises irradiation of the lignocellulosic material with ionizing radiation.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein irradiation comprises irradiation of the material with a dose of at least 10 Mrad.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the ionizing radiation comprises an electron beam.