Carbon capture in fermentation

• US 8,383,376 B2
• Filed: 08/16/2012
• Issued: 02/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lanzatech NZ Incorporated (LanzaTech Global, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: LanzaTech New Zealand Ltd. (LanzaTech Global, Inc.)
• Inventors: Simpson, Sean Dennis, Forster, Richard Llewellyn Sydney, Oakley, Simon David, Cockrem, Michael Charles Milner, Koepke, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Carlson, Karen Cochrane
• Assistant Examiner(s): MOSS, NATALIE M
• Application Number:
  US13/587,444
• Publication Number:
  US 20120309066A1
• Time in Patent Office: 194 Days
• Field of Search: 435/132, 435/157
• US Class Current: 435/157
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/0233 the reforming step being a steam reforming step
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/0255 containing a non-catalytic partial oxidation step
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/0261 containing a catalytic partial oxidation step [CPO]
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/0405 Purification by membrane separation
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/0415 Purification by absorption in liquids
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/043 Regenerative adsorption process in two or more beds, one for adsorption, the other for regeneration
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/0475 the impurity being carbon dioxide
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/06 Integration with other chemical processes
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/1058 Nickel catalysts
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/86 Carbon dioxide sequestration
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 3/38 using catalysts
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 21/12 for producing fuels or solvents C12M21/04 takes precedence; liquid carbonaceous fuels C10L1/00, solid fuels C10L5/00
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 29/26 Conditioning fluids entering or exiting the reaction vessel
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 41/34 of gas
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 43/04 Bioreactors or fermenters combined with combustion devices or plants, e.g. for carbon dioxide removal C12M43/06 takes precedence; recovery of carbon dioxide C12F3/02
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 1/20 Bacteria; Culture media therefor
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 1/205 Bacterial isolates
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 1/04 by using bacteria
• 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 7/00 Preparation of oxygen-containing organic compounds
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 7/065 : with microorganisms other than yeasts
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 7/08 : produced as by-product or from waste or cellulosic material substrate
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 7/28 : Acetone-containing products
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 7/54 : Acetic acid vinegar C12J
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 7/62 : Carboxylic acid esters
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 50/20 : Air quality improvement or preservation, e.g. vehicle emission control or emission reduction by using catalytic converters
• 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 30/00 : Technologies relating to oil refining and petrochemical industry
• CPC Class Codes: Y02W 10/37 : using solar energy

Abstract

The invention relates to processes for converting CO by microbial fermentation to one or more products including alcohols and/or acids and optionally capturing CO₂ to improve overall carbon capture. More particularly the invention relates to a method for producing one or more products from a CO comprising substrate, the method comprising a natural gas reforming step for producing a syngas stream, and converting at least a portion of CO from the syngas stream to one or more products including ethanol.

Claims

1. A method of producing one or more products by microbial fermentation of a gas stream, the method comprising:

a) passing a gas stream comprising methane to a conversion unit selected from the group consisting of a steam reforming unit or a partial oxidation unit and converting at least a portion of the gas stream comprising methane to a gaseous substrate stream comprising CO, CO₂ and H₂;

b) passing the substrate stream to a bioreactor containing a culture of one or more microorganisms; and

c) anaerobically fermenting the substrate stream in the bioreactor, to produce a product selected from the group consisting of alcohols, acids and mixtures thereof.

2. The method of claim 1 where the gas stream comprises a natural gas stream.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising separating at least a portion of a CO₂ component, using a CO₂ remover, from one or both of:

i). the substrate stream prior to the substrate stream entering the bioreactor; and

ii). an exhaust stream after the exhaust stream has exited the bioreactor.

4. The method of claim 1, where the one or more microrgansim is a carboxydotrophic bacterium.

5. The method of claim 4, where the carboxydotrophic bacterium is selected from the group consisting of Clostridium, Moorella and Carboxydothermus.

6. The method of claim 5 where the Clostridium bacterium is selected from the group consisting of Clostridium autoethanogenum, Clostridium ljungdahli, Clostridium ragsdalei, Clostridium drakei, Clostridium carboxydivorans Clostridium scatologenesand, and mixtures thereof.

7. The method of claim 6 where the bacterium is Clostridium autoethanogenum.

8. The method of claim 7 where the bacterium has the distinguishing features of Clostridium autoethanogenum strain DSM 19630 as deposited at the German Resource Centre for Biological Material (DSMZ).

9. The method of claim 1 where the fermentation products comprise ethanol and/or acetate.

10. A method for producing one or more products by microbial fermentation of a substrate comprising CO, the method comprising;

a) passing a natural gas stream to a steam methane reforming unit;

b) reforming the natural gas stream to produce a syngas stream comprising CO, CO2 and H2;

c) passing the syngas stream to a bioreactor containing a culture of one or more carboxydotrophic bacterium; and

d) fermenting the syngas stream to produce products selected from the group consisting of alcohols, acids and mixtures thereof and an exhaust gas stream comprising CO2.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising passing the syngas stream to a separation zone operated at conditions to produce a CO rich stream and passing the CO rich stream to the bioreactor.

12. The method of claim 10 where the carboxydotrophic bacterium is selected from the group consisting of Clostridium, Moorella and Carboxydothermus.

13. The method of claim 12 where the Clostridium bacterium is selected from the group consisting of Clostridium autoethanogenum, Clostridium ljungdahli, Clostridium ragsdalei, Clostridium drakei, Clostridium carboxydivorans, Clostridium scatologenesand and mixtures thereof.

14. The method of claim 13 where the bacterium is Clostridium autoethanogenum.

15. The method of claim 14 where the bacterium has the distinguishing features of Clostridium autoethanogenum strain DSM 19630 as deposited at the German Resource Centre for Biological Material (DSMZ).

16. The method of claim 10 where the fermentation products comprise ethanol and/or acetate.