Method for producing fuel using stacked particle bioreactor

Abstract

A bioreactor for producing synfuel from carbonaceous material includes a stacked particle heap comprising biodegradable carbonaceous material, an aerobic microbial consortium fermenting the biodegradable carbonaceous material into synfuel, and a gas impermeable barrier operatively covering the stacked particle heap. The covered particle heap is purged with at least one non-oxygenated gas. The bioreactor also includes a supply of anaerobic microorganisms which biodegrade the carbonaceous material within the stacked particle heap into synfuel. The synfuel is mixed with at least one reactor byproduct. The reactor byproducts are separated from the synfuel, which may include synthetic petroleum, alcohol, oil, and/or a gaseous fuel containing methane.

1 . A method of producing gaseous fuel from biodegradable carbonaceous material using a stacked particle bioreactor, the method comprising the steps of:
 a. forming a stacked particle bioreactor from particles comprising biodegradable carbonaceous material;   b. forming an anaerobic microorganism supporting environment within the bioreactor;   c. anaerobically bioconverting biodegradable carbonaceous material in the stacked particle bioreactor into a gaseous fuel; and   d. collecting the gaseous fuel from the bioreactor.   
   
   
       2 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the gaseous fuel comprises methane. 
   
   
       3 . A method according to  claim 1 , further comprising aerobically biotreating the stacked particle bioreactor prior to forming an anaerobic environment within the bioreactor, the aerobic biotreatment fermenting carbonaceous material in the bioreactor and/or releasing native oil from the carbonaceous material. 
   
   
       4 . A method according to  claim 3 , further comprising collecting oil from the stacked particle bioreactor. 
   
   
       5 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the step of forming an anaerobic environment includes purging the stacked particle bioreactor with argon, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, ammonia or hydrogen gas. 
   
   
       6 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising agglomerating the particles together to form particulates having a particle size in the range of 0.3 cm to 2.54 cm. 
   
   
       7 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising coating the surface of a plurality of substrates having a particle size greater than or equal to about 0.3 cm with the particles. 
   
   
       8 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising screening the particles into two or more size fractions and forming a plurality of stacked particle bioreactors having a void volume greater than or equal to about 15%, each bioreactor being formed with particles from one of the separated size fractions. 
   
   
       9 . The method according to  claim 8 , wherein one of the size fractions is a fines fraction and the process further comprises agglomerating the particles in the fines fraction to form particulates having a particle size in the range of 0.3 cm to 2.54 cm.