Energy production with hyperthermophilic organisms

• US 8,278,087 B2
• Filed: 09/24/2009
• Issued: 10/02/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hyperthermics AS
• Original Assignee: The University Of Regensburg
• Inventors: Remmereit, Jan, Thomm, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Lankford, Jr., Blaine
• Assistant Examiner(s): Van Buren, Lauren K
• Application Number:
  US12/566,282
• Publication Number:
  US 20100093046A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,104 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 435/243
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 11/04 Anaerobic treatment; Production of methane by such processes
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2301/106 Thermophilic treatment
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 3/34 characterised by the microorganisms used
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 21/02 Photobioreactors culturing algae A01G33/00, A01H4/001, C12N1/12
• 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 23/58 Reaction vessels connected in series or in parallel combinations of bioreactors with other apparatus, C12M43/00
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 41/18 Heat exchange systems, e.g. heat jackets or outer envelopes
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 3/00 Preparation of elements or inorganic compounds except carbon dioxide recovery of carbon dioxides as by-products C12F3/02
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 5/023 Methane
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 7/10 substrate containing cellulosic material
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 7/54 Acetic acid vinegar C12J
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 50/10 Biofuels, e.g. bio-diesel
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 50/30 Fuel from waste, e.g. synthetic alcohol or diesel
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 20/129 Energy recovery, e.g. by cogeneration, H2recovery or pressure recovery turbines
• CPC Class Codes: Y02W 10/33 using wind energy
• CPC Class Codes: Y02W 10/37 using solar energy

Abstract

The present invention relates to the field of degradation with hyperthermophilic organisms, and in particular to the use of hyperthermophilic degradation to produce heat and energy rich components including hydrogen and ethanol from a biomass. In some embodiments, a biomass is fermented in the presence of hyperthermophilic organisms to produce heat. The heat is used to heat a liquid which is used directly in a heat pump or radiant heat or to produce electricity or drive a steam turbine. In some embodiments, acetate is utilized as a substrate to produce energy by methanogenesis.

Claims

1. A process comprising:

treating a biomass with a hyperthermophilic organism selected from the group consisting of microorganisms MH-1 (Accession No. DSM

     22925) and MH-2 (Accession No. DSM

     22926) under conditions such that at least one degradation product is produced.

2. The process of claim 1, further comprising the step of separating at least one degradation product from said biomass.

3. The process of claim 1, further comprising the step of converting said degradation product into heat or electricity.

4. The process of claim 1, wherein said biomass is selected from the group consisting of sewage, agricultural waste products, straw, corn stover, brewery grain by-products, food waste, organic industry waste, forestry waste, crops, grass, seaweed, plankton, algae, fish, fish waste, and combinations thereof.

5. The process of claim 1, wherein said biomass is seaweed or a mixture of seaweed and at least one other biomass.

6. The process of claim 1, wherein at least one degradation product is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, acetate, methane and ethanol and combinations thereof.

7. The process of claim 1, wherein said microorganism is MH-1 (Accession No. DSM 22925) and said biomass is degraded in the presence of a cell density of said microorganism of greater than 10⁹ cells/ml.

8. The process of claim 1, wherein said degradation product is acetate and further comprising the step of feeding said acetate to methanogenic bacteria under conditions such that said acetate is converted to methane.

9. The process of claim 1, further comprising the step of feeding at least one degradation product to a culture system comprising algae under conditions such that the growth of said algae is enhanced.

10. The process of claim 9, wherein said degradation product is acetate.

11. The process of claim 9, further comprising the step of producing fatty acids from said algae.

12. The process of claim 1, wherein said microorganism is MH-2 (Accession No. DSM 22926) and said biomass is degraded at a salt concentration of less than about 0.2%.

13. The process of claim 1, wherein said conditions comprising maintaining said microorganism in a stationary phase.

14. An isolated microorganism designated strain MH-1 (Accession No. DSM 22925).

15. An isolated microorganism designated strain MH-2 (Accession No. DSM 22926).