Sustainable economic development through integrated production of renewable energy, materials resources, and nutrient regimes

• US 8,940,265 B2
• Filed: 08/16/2010
• Issued: 01/27/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Advanced Green Innovations, LLC
• Original Assignee: McAlister Technologies, LLC
• Inventors: McAlister, Roy E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wilkins, III, Harry D
• Application Number:
  US12/857,553
• Publication Number:
  US 20110061295A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,625 Days
• US Class Current: 423/445.R
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/0272 containing a non-catalytic decomposition step
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/061 Methanol production
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/062 Hydrocarbon production, e.g. Fischer-Tropsch process
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/068 Ammonia synthesis
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/84 Energy production
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 3/042 Decomposition of water
• 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: C01C 1/04 Preparation of ammonia by synthesis in the gas phasepreparation or purification of gas mixtures for ammonia synthesis C01B3/025
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2001/46171 Cylindrical or tubular shaped
• CPC Class Codes: C07C 1/04 from carbon monoxide with hydrogen
• CPC Class Codes: C07C 29/151 with hydrogen or hydrogen-containing gases
• CPC Class Codes: C10B 47/00 Destructive distillation of solid carbonaceous materials with indirect heating, e.g. by external combustion
• CPC Class Codes: C25B 11/02 characterised by shape or form
• CPC Class Codes: C25B 11/03 perforated or foraminous
• CPC Class Codes: C25B 13/02 characterised by shape or form
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 43/08 Plants characterised by the engines using gaseous fuel generated in the plant from solid fuel, e.g. wood
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 9/25 the apparatus being an electrical generator F03D9/22 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F03G 6/06 with solar energy concentrating means
• CPC Class Codes: F03G 6/068 having other power cycles, e.g. Stirling or transcritical, supercritical cycles; combined with other power sources, e.g. wind, gas or nuclear
• CPC Class Codes: Y02C 20/20 of methane
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/46 : Conversion of thermal power into mechanical power, e.g. Rankine, Stirling or solar thermal engines
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/72 : Wind turbines with rotation axis in wind direction
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 50/00 : Technologies for the production of fuel of non-fossil origin
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/36 : Hydrogen production from non-carbon containing sources, e.g. by water electrolysis
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 20/133 : Renewable energy sources, e.g. sunlight
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 60/60 : Fishing; Aquaculture; Aquafarming
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/12 : Improving ICE efficiencies
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/30 : Use of alternative fuels, e.g. biofuels
• CPC Class Codes: Y02W 10/33 : using wind energy
• CPC Class Codes: Y02W 10/37 : using solar energy

Abstract

The present disclosure is directed to a system and method of sustainable economic development, such as development through an integrated production of renewable energy, material resources, and nutrient regimes. In some embodiments, the system utilizes resources extracted from renewable energy sources to assist in the capture of energy from other renewable energy sources. In some embodiments, the system utilizes energy from renewable energy sources to extract resources from other renewable energy sources.

Claims

1. A system for sustainable economic development, the system comprising:

an extraction component, wherein the extraction component is configured to extract elemental carbon from a biomass using dissociation; and

an energy component, wherein the energy component is configured to harness energy from a renewable energy source;

the extraction component configured to receive energy from the energy component;

the energy component comprising at least a portion of the extracted elemental carbon, forming an autogenous energy cascade within the system.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the energy component is configured to harness from the renewable energy source an amount of energy greater than an amount of energy harnessed from oxidizing the extracted elemental carbon using a combustion engine, a fuel cell, or a thermoelectric cell.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a byproduct component, wherein the byproduct component is configured to;

generate a byproduct using the renewable energy source and one or more non-carbon based substances extracted from the biomass by the extraction component; and

provide the generated byproduct to the renewable energy source.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a byproduct component, wherein the byproduct component is configured to generate a byproduct using the renewable energy source and one or more non-carbon based substances extracted from the biomass by the extraction component.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the extraction component includes a dissociation component configured to thermally dehydrogenate the biomass.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the extraction component includes a dissociation component configured to electrically dehydrogenate the biomass.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the extraction component includes a dissociation component configured to optically dehydrogenate the biomass.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the extraction component is configured to receive energy from the energy component during extraction of the elemental carbon from the biomass.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the renewable energy source is a solar concentrator.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the renewable energy source is a moving water energy source.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the renewable energy source is a wind energy source.

12. A system for sustainable economic development, the system comprising:

a feedstock component, wherein the feedstock component provides a substance containing carbon into the system;

an extraction component;

wherein the extraction component dissociates the feedstock into at least two byproducts;

at least one of the byproducts containing carbon;

a resource extraction sub-system for extracting a desired resource from the feedstock byproducts, wherein the resource extraction sub-system includes;

a resource generation component;

wherein the resource generation component dissociates elemental carbon from the byproduct containing carbon; and

an energy component, wherein the energy component is configured to provide energy to the resource generation component to assist in separation of the desired resource from the feedstock byproduct;

an additional resource generation sub-system for generating at least one additional resource from at least one feedstock byproduct or at least one byproduct within the resource generation component after separation of the desired resource from the feedstock, wherein the additional resource generation sub-system includes;

a byproduct reception component, wherein the byproduct reception component is configured to receive one or more byproducts from the feedstock or the resource generation component; and

an energy component, wherein the energy component is configured to provide energy to convert the one or more byproducts in the byproduct reception component into additional resources;

byproducts from the feedstock or the resource generation component being reinvested into at least one of the resource generation component, the extraction component, the resource extraction sub-system energy component, or the additional resource generation sub-system energy component, forming an autogenous energy cascade within the system.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the resource generation component is a dissociation component that performs thermal dissociation to separate the desired resource from the provided feedstock.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the resource generation component is a dissociation component that performs electrical dissociation to separate the desired resource from the provided feedstock.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the resource generation component is a dissociation component that performs optical dissociation to separate the desired resource from the provided feedstock.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the resource generation component is a dissociation component that performs magnetic dissociation to separate the desired resource from the provided feedstock.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein the energy component of the resource extraction sub-system is a renewable energy component.

18. The system of claim 12, wherein the energy component of the resource extraction sub-system is a solar concentrator.

19. The system of claim 12, wherein the energy component of the resource extraction sub-system is a moving water energy source.

20. The system of claim 12, wherein the energy component of the resource extraction sub-system is a wind energy source.

21. The system of claim 12, wherein the byproducts from the feedstock or the resource generation component include carbon dioxide and resources generated include oxygen and carbon.

22. The system of claim 12, wherein the byproducts from the feedstock or the resource generation component include carbon monoxide and hydrogen and a generated resource includes methanol.

23. The system of claim 12, wherein the byproducts from the feedstock or the resource generation component include methane and resources generated include hydrogen and carbon.

24. The system of claim 12, wherein the byproducts from the feedstock or the resource generation component include hydrogen and resources generated include ammonia.

25. The system of claim 12, wherein the byproducts from the feedstock or the resource generation component include ash and resources generated include fertilizer.

26. A method for sustainable economic development, the method comprising:

non-catalytically dissociating two or more substances from a feedstock, wherein dissociating the two or more substances from the feedstock includes providing energy from a renewable energy source to assist in performing the dissociation; and

extracting one or more resources, including elemental carbon, from at least one of the two or more dissociated substances using the renewable energy source;

forming an autogenous energy cascade by reinvesting at least a portion of the one or more resources into either of the steps of;

(a) dissociating the two or more substances;

or (b) extracting one or more resources.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the at least one dissociated substance includes carbon dioxide.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein the at least one dissociated substance includes carbon monoxide.

29. The method of claim 26, wherein the at least one dissociated substance includes methane.

30. The method of claim 26, further comprising:

providing one of the two or more dissociated substances that does not contain carbon to the renewable energy source.

31. The method of claim 26, further comprising:

when one of the two or more dissociated substances is hydrogen, providing the hydrogen to the renewable energy source.

32. The method of claim 26, wherein one of the dissociated substances does not include carbon, the method further comprising:

providing the one dissociated substance that does not include carbon to the renewable energy source to generate methanol.

33. The method of claim 26, wherein one of the dissociated substances does not include carbon, the method further comprising:

providing the one dissociated substance that does not include carbon to the renewable energy source to generate ammonia.

34. The method of claim 26, wherein one of the dissociated substances does not include carbon, the method further comprising:

providing the one dissociated substance that does not include carbon to the renewable energy source to generate fertilizer.