Carbonic anhydrase bioreactor and process
First Claim
1. An enzymatic bioreactor for treatment of a CO2-containing gas with carbonic anhydrase, the bioreactor comprising:
- a reaction chamber for accommodating an absorption reaction of CO2 in an aqueous solution containing the carbonic anhydrase, the carbonic anhydrase catalyzing the absorption reaction, thereby producing a CO2-depleted gas stream and a liquid stream including hydrogen and bicarbonate ions, the carbonic anhydrase flowing through the reaction chamber;
a liquid inlet in fluid communication with the reaction chamber for feeding the aqueous solution containing carbonic anhydrase into the reaction chamber;
a gas inlet in fluid communication with the reaction chamber for feeding the CO2-containing gas into the reaction chamber;
a liquid outlet in fluid communication with the reaction chamber for releasing the liquid stream, the liquid stream comprising the carbonic anhydrase;
a gas outlet in fluid communication with the reaction chamber to release the CO2-depleted gas stream; and
a unit provided outside the reaction chamber for receiving the liquid stream from the liquid outlet and for removing the carbonic anhydrase from the liquid stream.
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Abstract
A triphasic bioreactor for physico-chemically treating a gas is disclosed. The triphasic bioreactor comprises a reaction chamber with a liquid and biocatalysts in suspension in the liquid, for catalyzing a reaction between the gas and the liquid to obtain a treated gas and a solution containing a reaction product. A gas bubbling means is provided in the reaction chamber for bubbling the gas to be treated into the liquid thereby dissolving the gas into the liquid and increasing a pressure inside the reaction chamber. The bioreactor further comprises a liquid inlet in fluid communication with the reaction chamber for receiving the liquid and filling the reaction chamber, a liquid outlet in fluid communication with the reaction chamber for releasing the solution and a gas outlet in fluid communication with the reaction chamber to release the treated gas. The bioreactor further comprises a retention device to retain the biocatalysts in the reaction chamber. The invention also concerns a process using the triphasic bioreactor. The triphasic bioreactor may advantageously be used for removing carbonic dioxide from a CO2-containing gas.
147 Citations
35 Claims
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1. An enzymatic bioreactor for treatment of a CO2-containing gas with carbonic anhydrase, the bioreactor comprising:
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a reaction chamber for accommodating an absorption reaction of CO2 in an aqueous solution containing the carbonic anhydrase, the carbonic anhydrase catalyzing the absorption reaction, thereby producing a CO2-depleted gas stream and a liquid stream including hydrogen and bicarbonate ions, the carbonic anhydrase flowing through the reaction chamber; a liquid inlet in fluid communication with the reaction chamber for feeding the aqueous solution containing carbonic anhydrase into the reaction chamber; a gas inlet in fluid communication with the reaction chamber for feeding the CO2-containing gas into the reaction chamber; a liquid outlet in fluid communication with the reaction chamber for releasing the liquid stream, the liquid stream comprising the carbonic anhydrase; a gas outlet in fluid communication with the reaction chamber to release the CO2-depleted gas stream; and a unit provided outside the reaction chamber for receiving the liquid stream from the liquid outlet and for removing the carbonic anhydrase from the liquid stream.
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2. The carbonic anhydrase bioreactor according to claim 1, wherein the reaction chamber is configured and adapted to accommodate the carbonic anhydrase free in the aqueous solution.
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3. The carbonic anhydrase bioreactor according to claim 1, wherein the carbonic anhydrase are provided in the form of a complex.
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4. The carbonic anhydrase bioreactor according to claim 1, wherein the carbonic anhydrase are provided in a form that is of sub-micron size.
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5. The carbonic anhydrase bioreactor according to claim 1, wherein the carbonic anhydrase are provided on or in supports.
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6. The carbonic anhydrase bioreactor according to claim 5, wherein the carbonic anhydrase are provided on supports.
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7. The carbonic anhydrase bioreactor according to claim 5, wherein the carbonic anhydrase are provided in supports.
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8. The carbonic anhydrase bioreactor according to claim 1, wherein unit for removing the carbonic anhydrase from the liquid stream comprises a filter.
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9. The carbonic anhydrase bioreactor according to claim 8, wherein the filter has pores with a smaller diameter than a diameter of the carbonic anhydrase, a support on or in which the carbonic anhydrase are supported or a complex of the carbonic anhydrase, for separating the carbonic anhydrase from the liquid stream.
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10. The carbonic anhydrase bioreactor according to claim 9, wherein the filter comprises a membrane.
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11. The carbonic anhydrase bioreactor according to claim 9, further comprising a pump in fluid communication with the liquid outlet and wherein the filter is provided downstream of the pump.
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12. The carbonic anhydrase bioreactor according to claim 9, wherein the filter is an ultrafiltration filter.
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13. The carbonic anhydrase bioreactor according to claim 9, wherein the filter is a microfiltration filter.
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14. The carbonic anhydrase bioreactor according to claim 9, wherein the filter comprises a permeate outlet and a retentate outlet, the permeate outlet releasing a carbonic anhydrase depleted solution and the retentate outlet releasing a separated liquid containing the carbonic anhydrase.
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15. The carbonic anhydrase bioreactor according to claim 14, comprising further treatment units for receiving the carbonic anhydrase depleted solution.
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16. The carbonic anhydrase bioreactor according to claim 15, wherein the further treatment units are selected from decantation units and ion exchange units.
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17. The carbonic anhydrase bioreactor according to claim 14, comprising a recycle line for recycling the separated liquid back into the reaction chamber.
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18. The carbonic anhydrase bioreactor according to claim 1, wherein the carbonic anhydrase are provided linked in a network.
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19. The process according to claim 1, wherein the removing the carbonic anhydrase from the liquid stream comprises filtering the carbonic anhydrase out of the liquid stream.
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20. The process according to claim 19, wherein the filtering is performed by a membrane.
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21. The process according to claim 19, further comprising pumping the liquid stream from the reaction chamber to the filtering.
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22. The process according to claim 19, wherein the filtering is performed by ultrafiltration of the carbonic anhydrase.
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23. The process according to claim 19, wherein the filtering is performed by microfiltration of the carbonic anhydrase.
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24. The process according to claim 19, wherein the filtering comprises separating a carbonic anhydrase depleted solution and a separated liquid containing the carbonic anhydrase.
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25. The process according to claim 24, comprising conveying the carbonic anhydrase depleted solution to further treatments.
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26. The process according to claim 25, wherein the further treatments units are selected from decantation and ion exchange.
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27. The process according to claim 24, wherein the separated liquid is recycled back into the reaction chamber.
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28. An enzymatic process for treatment of a CO2-containing gas with carbonic anhydrase, the process comprising:
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feeding the CO2-containing, gas into a reaction chamber; feeding an aqueous solution containing carbonic anhydrase into the reaction chamber; allowing an absorption reaction of CO2 in the aqueous solution to occur within the reaction chamber, the carbonic anhydrase catalyzing the absorption reaction, thereby producing a CO2-depleted gas stream and a liquid stream including hydrogen and bicarbonate ions, the carbonic anhydrase flowing through the reaction chamber; releasing the CO2-depleted gas stream and the liquid stream from the reaction chamber, the liquid stream comprising the carbonic anhydrase; removing the carbonic anhydrase from the liquid stream outside of the reaction chamber.
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29. The process according to claim 28, wherein the carbonic anhydrase are provided free in the aqueous solution.
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30. The process according to claim 28, wherein the carbonic anhydrase are provided on or in supports.
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31. The process according to claim 30, wherein the carbonic anhydrase are provided on supports.
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32. The process according to claim 30, wherein the carbonic anhydrase are provided in supports.
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33. The process according to claim 28, wherein the carbonic anhydrase are provided in the form of a complex.
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34. The process according to claim 28, wherein the carbonic anhydrase are provided in a form that is of sub-micron size.
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35. The process according to claim 28, wherein the carbonic anhydrase are provided linked in a network.
Specification