Carbon producing apparatus utilizing biomass

• US 6,180,396 B1
• Filed: 03/09/1999
• Issued: 01/30/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Research Institute Of Innovative Technology For The Earth, Shimadzu Corporation
• Original Assignee: Research Institute Of Innovative Technology For The Earth, Shimadzu Corporation
• Inventors: Ono, Shigeki, Kato, Saburo
• Primary Examiner(s): Beisner, William H.
• Application Number:
  US09/264,671
• Time in Patent Office: 693 Days
• Field of Search: 435/289.1, 435/290.1, 435/300.1, 435/801, 71/10, 210/603, 422/150, 422/158, 423/220, 423/230, 423/231, 423/449.1, 423/450, 423/453, 423/454, 423/458, 481/273, 481/275, 481/277, 481/981
• US Class Current: 435/289.1
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 19/00 Chemical, physical or physico-chemical processes in general; Their relevant apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 32/05 Preparation or purification of carbon not covered by groups C01B32/15, C01B32/20, C01B32/25, C01B32/30
• CPC Class Codes: C09C 1/52 Channel black ; Preparation thereof separation or recovery C09C1/487
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 21/04 for producing gas, e.g. biogas digesters for manure with production of biogas A01C3/028, biological treatment of water, waste water or sewage C02F3/00, C02F11/02, preparation of natural gas or syngas C10L3/06, C10L3/10
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 43/00 Combinations of bioreactors or fermenters with other apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 47/18 Gas cleaning, e.g. scrubbers; Separation of different gases separating dispersed particles from gases or vapours B01D45/00; separation of gases or vapours B01D53/00; gas washing apparatus for laboratory uses B01L5/04
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 5/023 Methane
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 50/30 Fuel from waste, e.g. synthetic alcohol or diesel
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 20/10 Process efficiency
• CPC Class Codes: Y02W 10/37 using solar energy

Abstract

An anaerobic fermentation part generates gas containing methane and carbon dioxide by anaerobically fermenting biomass. The gas is passed to a methane.carbon dioxide separation part to be separated into methane and carbon dioxide, and part of the separated methane is fed to a methane reforming part to be decomposed into carbon and hydrogen under the presence of a catalyst. The carbon dioxide separated in the methane.carbon dioxide separation part and the hydrogen formed in the methane reforming part are fed to a carbon dioxide fixing part, which in turn reacts the carbon dioxide with the hydrogen under the presence of a catalyst for continuously forming carbon and hydrogen and fixing the carbon dioxide.

Claims

1. A carbon producing apparatus comprising:

an anaerobic fermentation part for generating methane and carbon dioxide by anaerobically fermenting biomass;

a methane.carbon dioxide separation part for separating methane and carbon dioxide, supplied with mixed gas containing methane and carbon dioxide generated in said anaerobic fermentation part;

hydrogen forming means for forming hydrogen, supplied with methane separated in said methane.carbon dioxide separation part; and

a carbon dioxide fixing part for forming carbon by reducing carbon dioxide with hydrogen under the presence of a catalyst, supplied with carbon dioxide separated in said methane.carbon dioxide separation part and with hydrogen formed in said hydrogen forming means.

2. The carbon producing apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein

said hydrogen forming means is a methane reforming part for decomposing methane into carbon and hydrogen under the presence of a catalyst.

3. The carbon producing apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein

said hydrogen forming means is a methane steam reforming part for forming carbon dioxide and hydrogen by reacting methane with steam under the presence of a catalyst.

4. The carbon producing apparatus in accordance with claim 1, further comprising a methane combustion part supplied with part of said methane separated in said methane.carbon dioxide separation part and a reaction heat transmission part for supplying heat generated in said methane combustion part to said anaerobic fermentation part and said hydrogen forming means.

5. The carbon producing apparatus in accordance with claim 4, further comprising a reaction heat utilizing power generation part supplied with said heat generated in said methane combustion part, for converting said part of said heat generated in said methane combustion part to electric power.

6. The carbon producing apparatus in accordance with claim 4, providing a passage supplying gas containing carbon dioxide generated from said methane combustion part to said carbon dioxide fixing part, for also reducing said carbon dioxide contained in said gas to carbon.

7. The carbon producing apparatus in accordance with claim 4, further providing an intra-system carbon dioxide supply part formed by a steam condenser and a vapor-liquid separator supplied with mixed gas containing steam and carbon dioxide generated from said methane combustion part and a passage supplying said carbon dioxide separated in said vapor-liquid separator to said carbon dioxide fixing part, for also reducing said carbon dioxide to carbon.

8. The carbon producing apparatus in accordance with claim 1, further comprising a hydrogen combustion part supplied with part of said hydrogen formed in said hydrogen forming means and a reaction heat transmission part for supplying heat generated in said hydrogen combustion part to said anaerobic fermentation part and said hydrogen forming means.

9. The carbon producing apparatus in accordance with claim 8, further comprising a reaction heat utilizing power generation part supplied with said heat generated in said hydrogen combustion part, for converting said part of said heat generated in said hydrogen combustion part to electric power.

10. A carbon producing apparatus comprising:

an anaerobic fermentation part for generating methane and carbon dioxide by anaerobically fermenting biomass; and

a carbon dioxide fixing part supplied with mixed gas containing methane and carbon dioxide formed in said anaerobic fermentation part for generating carbon by reacting the same under the presence of a catalyst.

11. The carbon producing apparatus in accordance with claim 10, wherein

said carbon dioxide fixing part is also supplied with carbon dioxide from outside the system.

12. The carbon producing apparatus in accordance with claim 10, further comprising a methane combustion part supplied with part of said mixed gas containing methane and carbon dioxide formed in said anaerobic fermentation part for combusting said methane contained in said mixed gas and a reaction heat transmission part for supplying heat generated in said methane combustion part to said anaerobic fermentation part.

13. The carbon producing apparatus in accordance with claim 12, further comprising a reaction heat utilizing power generation part supplied with part of said heat generated in said methane combustion part, for converting said part of said heat generated in said methane combustion part to electric power.

14. The carbon producing apparatus in accordance with claim 12, providing a passage supplying gas containing carbon dioxide generated from said methane combustion part to said carbon dioxide fixing part, for also reducing said carbon dioxide contained in said gas to carbon.

15. The carbon producing apparatus in accordance with claim 14, wherein

the ratio of gas, generated in said anaerobic fermentation part, fed to said carbon dioxide fixing part to that fed to said methane combustion part is so adjusted that the sum of the mole numbers of said carbon dioxide fed from said methane combustion part to said carbon dioxide fixing part and that fed from said anaerobic fermentation part to said carbon dioxide fixing part is equal to the mole number of said methane fed to said carbon dioxide fixing part.

16. The carbon producing apparatus in accordance with claim 12, further providing an intra-system carbon dioxide supply part formed by a steam condenser and a vapor-liquid separator supplied with mixed gas containing steam and carbon dioxide generated from said methane combustion part and a passage supplying carbon dioxide separated in said vapor-liquid separator to said carbon dioxide fixing part, for also reducing said carbon dioxide to carbon.

17. The carbon producing apparatus in accordance with claim 12, wherein

the ratio of gas, generated in said anaerobic fermentation part, fed to said carbon dioxide fixing part to that fed to said methane combustion part is so adjusted that the sum of the mole numbers of said carbon dioxide fed from said methane combustion part to said carbon dioxide fixing part and that fed from said anaerobic fermentation part to said carbon dioxide fixing part is equal to the mole number of said methane fed to said carbon dioxide fixing part.

18. The carbon producing apparatus in accordance with claim 10, further comprising a hydrogen combustion part supplied with hydrogen formed in said carbon dioxide fixing part and a reaction heat transmission part for supplying heat generated in said hydrogen combustion part to said anaerobic fermentation part.

19. The carbon producing apparatus in accordance with claim 18, further comprising a reaction heat utilizing power generation part supplied with part of said heat generated in said hydrogen combustion part for converting said part of said heat generated in said hydrogen combustion part to electric power.