Biological Clean Fuel Processing Systems and Methods

Abstract

Methods and systems to achieve clean fuel processing systems in which carbon dioxide emissions ( 1 ) from fossil fuel consumption sources ( 2 ) may be processed in at least one processing reactor ( 4 ) containing a plurality of chemoautotrophic bacteria ( 5 ) which can convert the carbon dioxide emissions into biomass ( 6 ) which may then be used for various products ( 21 ) such as biofuels, fertilizer, feedstock, or the like. Sulfate reducing bacteria ( 13 ) may be used to supply sulfur containing compounds to the chemoautotrophic bacteria ( 5 ).

1 - 70 . (canceled) 
     
     
         71 . A multistep biological and chemical process for the capture and conversion of carbon dioxide and/or other sources of inorganic carbon, into organic compounds, where one or more steps in the process utilize obligate and/or facultative chemoautotrophic microorganisms, and/or cell extracts containing enzymes from chemoautotrophic microorganisms, to fix carbon dioxide or inorganic carbon into organic compounds where carbon dioxide gas alone or in a mixture or solution as dissolved carbon dioxide, carbonate ion, or bicarbonate ion including aqueous solutions such as sea water, or in a solid phase including but not limited to a carbonate mineral, is introduced into an environment suitable for maintaining chemoautotrophic organisms and/or chemoautotroph cell extracts, which fix the inorganic carbon into organic compounds, with the chemosynthetic carbon fixing reaction being driven by chemical and/or electrochemical energy provided by electron donors and electron acceptors that have been generated chemically or electrochemically or input from inorganic sources or waste sources that are made accessible through the process to the chemoautotrophic microorganisms in the chemosynthetic reaction step or steps. 
     
     
         72 . A method according to  claim 71 , whereby said electron donors include but are not limited to one or more of the following reducing agents: ammonia; ammonium; carbon monoxide; dithionite; elemental sulfur; hydrocarbons; hydrogen; metabisulfites; nitric oxide; nitrites; sulfates such as thiosulfates including but not limited to sodium thiosulfate (Na.sub.2S.sub.2O.sub.3) or calcium thiosulfate (CaS.sub.2O.sub.3); sulfides such as hydrogen sulfide; sulfites; thionate; thionite; transition metals or their sulfides, oxides, chalcogenides, halides, hydroxides, oxyhydroxides, phosphates, sulfates, or carbonates, in dissolved or solid phases; as well as conduction or valence band electrons in solid state electrode materials. 
     
     
         73 . A method according to  claim 71 , whereby said electron acceptors include but are not limited to one or more of the following: carbon dioxide; oxygen; nitrites; nitrates; ferric iron or other transition metal ions; sulfates; or valence or conduction band holes in solid state electrode materials. 
     
     
         74 . A method according to  claim 71 , whereby the said chemosynthetic step or steps is proceeded by one or more chemical preprocessing steps whereby said electron donors and/or said electron acceptors used to drive chemosynthesis and/or other nutrients needed to support the chemoautotrophic culture are generated or refined from more unrefined raw input chemicals and/or recycled from process output chemicals and/or the waste streams from other industrial, mining, agricultural, sewage or waste generating processes. 
     
     
         75 . A method according to  claim 71 , whereby the said chemosynthetic step or steps is followed by one or more process steps for the separation of the organic and/or inorganic chemical products of chemosynthesis from the process stream and for the processing of these products into a form suitable for storage, shipping, and sale; as well as one or more process steps for the separation of cell mass from the process stream and for the recycling of cell mass needed to maintain the chemoautotrophic culture back into the said chemosynthetic steps, and/or for surplus biomass to be processed into a form suitable for storage, shipping, and sale 
     
     
         76 . A method according to  claim 71 , whereby the said chemosynthetic step or steps is followed by one or more process steps where waste products and/or impurities or contaminants are removed from the process stream including the nutrient medium used to maintain the chemoautotrophic culture, and disposed of. 
     
     
         77 . A method according to  claim 71 , whereby the said chemosynthetic step or steps is followed by one or more process steps where any unused nutrients and/or process water left after the removal of chemoautotrophic cell mass and/or chemical co-products of chemosynthesis and/or waste products or contaminants are recycled back into the chemosynthetic process steps to support further chemosynthesis. 
     
     
         78 . A method according to  claim 71 , whereby the given chemoautotrophic microorganisms include but are not limited to one or more of the following:  Acetoanaerobium  sp.;  Acetobacterium  sp.;  Acetogenium  sp.;  Achromobacter  sp.;  Acidianus  sp.;  Acinetobacter  sp.;  Actinomadura  sp.;  Aeromonas  sp.;  Alcaligenes  sp.;  Alcaligenes  sp.;  Arcobacter  sp.;  Aureobacterium  sp.;  Bacillus  sp.;  Beggiatoa  sp.;  Butyribacterium  sp.;  Carboxydothermus  sp.;  Clostridium  sp.;  Comamonas  sp.;  Dehalobacter  sp.;  Dehalococcoide  sp.;  Dehalospirillum  sp.;  Desulfobacterium  sp.;  Desulfomonile  sp.;  Desulfotomaculum  sp.;  Desulfovibrio  sp.;  Desulfurosarcina  sp.;  Ectothiorhodospira  sp.;  Enterobacter  sp.;  Eubacterium  sp.;  Ferroplasma  sp.;  Halothibacillus  sp.;  Hydrogenobacter  sp.;  Hydrogenomonas  sp.;  Leptospirillum  sp.;  Metallosphaera  sp.;  Methanobacterium  sp.;  Methanobrevibacter  sp.;  Methanococcus  sp.;  Methanosarcina  sp.;  Micrococcus  sp.;  Nitrobacter  sp.;  Nitrosococcus  sp.;  Nitrosolobus  sp.;  Nitrosomonas  sp.;  Nitrosospira  sp.;  Nitrosovibrio  sp.;  Nitrospina  sp.;  Oleomonas  sp.;  Paracoccus  sp.;  Peptostreptococcus  sp.;  Planctomycetes  sp.;  Pseudomonas  sp.;  Ralstonia  sp.;  Rhodobacter  sp.;  Rhodococcus  sp.;  Rhodocyclus  sp.;  Rhodomicrobium  sp.;  Rhodopseudomonas  sp.;  Rhodospirillum  sp.;  Shewanella  sp.;  Streptomyces  sp.;  Sulfobacillus  sp.;  Sulfolobus  sp.;  Thiobacillus  sp.;  Thiomicrospira  sp.;  Thioploca  sp.;  Thiosphaera  sp.;  Thiothrix  sp.; sulfur-oxidizers; hydrogen-oxidizers; iron-oxidizers; acetogens; methanogens; as well as a consortiums of microorganisms that include chemoautotrophs, where the chemoautotrophs may be native to environments including but not limited to: hydrothermal vents; geothermal vents; hot springs; cold seeps; underground aquifers; salt lakes; saline formations; mines; acid mine drainage; mine tailings; oil wells; refinery wastewater; coal seams; the deep sub-surface; waste water and sewage treatment plants; geothermal power plants; sulfatara fields; soils; where the said chemoautotrophs may or may not be extremophiles including but not limited to thermophiles, hyperthermophiles, acidophiles, halophiles, and psychrophiles. 
     
     
         79 . A method according to  claim 71 , whereby said electron donors and/or electron acceptors are generated or recycled using renewable, alternative, or conventional sources of power that are low in greenhouse gas emissions including but not limited to one or more of the following: photovoltaics, solar thermal, wind power, hydroelectric, nuclear, geothermal, enhanced geothermal, ocean thermal, ocean wave power, tidal power. 
     
     
         80 . A method according to  claim 71 , whereby molecular hydrogen acts as electron donor and is generated through electrolysis of water including but not limited to approaches using Proton Exchange Membranes (PEM), liquid electrolytes such as KOH, high-pressure electrolysis, high temperature electrolysis of steam (HTES); and/or thermochemical splitting of water through methods including but not limited to the iron oxide cycle, cerium(IV) oxide-cerium(III) oxide cycle, zinc zinc-oxide cycle, sulfur-iodine cycle, copper-chlorine cycle, calcium-bromine-iron cycle, hybrid sulfur cycle; and/or the electrolysis of hydrogen sulfide; and/or the thermochemical splitting of hydrogen sulfide; and/or through other electrochemical or thermochemical processes known to produce hydrogen with low- or no-carbon dioxide emissions including but not limited to: carbon capture and sequestration enabled methane reforming; carbon capture and sequestration enabled coal gasification; the Kv.ae butted.rner-process and other processes generating a carbon-black product; carbon capture and sequestration enabled gasification or pyrolysis of biomass; and the half-cell reduction of H.sup.+ to H.sub.2 accompanied by the half-cell oxidization of electron sources including but not limited to ferrous iron (Fe.sup.2+) oxidized to ferric iron (Fe.sup.3+) or the oxidation of sulfur compounds whereby the oxidized iron or sulfur can be recycled to back to a reduced state through additional chemical reaction with minerals including but not limited to metal sulfides, hydrogen sulfide, or hydrocarbons. 
     
     
         81 . A method according to  claim 71 , whereby said electron donors are generated from minerals of natural origin including but not limited to one or more of the following: elemental Fe.sup.0; siderite (FeCO.sub.3); magnetite (Fe.sub.3O.sub.4); pyrite or marcasite (FeS.sub.2), pyrrhotite (Fe.sub.(1−x)S (x=0 to 0.2), pentlandite (Fe,Ni).sub.9S.sub.8, violarite (Ni.sub.2FeS.sub.4), bravoite (Ni,Fe)S.sub.2, arsenopyrite (FeAsS), or other iron sulfides; realgar (AsS); orpiment (As.sub.2S.sub.3); cobaltite (CoAsS); rhodochrosite (MnCO.sub.3); chalcopyrite (CuFeS.sub.2), bornite (Cu.sub.5FeS.sub.4), covellite (CuS), tetrahedrite (Cu.sub.8Sb.sub.2S.sub.7), enargite (Cu.sub.3AsS.sub.4), tennantite (Cu.sub.12As.sub.4. S.sub.13), chalcocite (Cu.sub.2S), or other copper sulfides; sphalerite (ZnS), marmatite (ZnS), or other zinc sulfides; galena (PbS), geocronite (Pb.sub.5(Sb,As.sub.2)S.sub.8), or other lead sulfides; argentite or acanthite (Ag.sub.2S); molybdenite (MoS.sub.2); millerite (NiS), polydymite (Ni.sub.3 S.sub.4) or other nickel sulfides; antimonite (Sb.sub.2S.sub.3); Ga.sub.2S.sub.3; CuSe; cooperite (PtS); laurite (RuS.sub.2); braggite (Pt,Pd,Ni)S; FeCl.sub.2. 
     
     
         82 . A method according to  claim 71 , whereby said electron donors are generated from pollutants or waste products including but are not limited to one or more of the following: process gas; tail gas; enhanced oil recovery vent gas; biogas; acid mine drainage; landfill leachate; landfill gas; geothermal gas; geothermal sludge or brine; metal contaminants; gangue; tailings; sulfides; disulfides; mercaptans including but not limited to methyl and dimethyl mercaptan, ethyl mercaptan; carbonyl sulfide; carbon disulfide; alkanesulfonates; dialkyl sulfides; thiosulfate; thiofurans; thiocyanates; isothiocyanates; thioureas; thiols; thiophenols; thioethers; thiophene; dibenzothiophene; tetrathionate; dithionite; thionate; dialkyl disulfides; sulfones; sulfoxides; sulfolanes; sulfonic acid; dimethylsulfoniopropionate; sulfonic esters; hydrogen sulfide; sulfate esters; organic sulfur; sulfur dioxide and all other sour gases. 
     
     
         83 . A method according to  claim 71 , whereby the delivery of reducing equivalents from the said electron donors to the chemoautotrophs for the said chemosynthetic reaction or reactions is kinetically and/or thermodynamically enhanced through means including but not limited to: the introduction of hydrogen storage materials into the chemoautotrophic culture environment that can double as a solid support media for microbial growth—bringing absorbed or adsorbed hydrogen electron donors into close proximity with the hydrogen-oxidizing chemoautotrophs; the introduction of electron mediators such as but not limited to cytochromes, formate, methyl-viologen, NAD.sup.+/NADH, neutral red (NR), and quinones to help transfer reducing power from poorly soluble electron donors such as but not limited to H.sub.2 gas or electrons in solid state electrode materials, into the chemoautotrophic culture media; the introduction of electrode materials that can double as a solid growth support media directly into the chemoautotrophic culture environment—bringing solid state electrons into close proximity with the microbes. 
     
     
         84 . A method according to  claim 71 , whereby said electron donors are generated or recycled through non- or low-carbon dioxide emitting chemical reactions with hydrocarbons including but not limited to the thermochemical reduction of sulfate reaction (TSR) and the Muller-Kuhne reaction for the production of hydrogen sulfide or reduced sulfur; or methane reforming-like reactions utilizing metal oxides in place of water such as but not limited to iron oxide, calcium oxide, or magnesium oxide whereby the hydrocarbon is reacted to form solid carbonate with little or no emissions of carbon dioxide gas along with hydrogen electron donor product. 
     
     
         85 . A method according to  claim 71 , whereby said chemosynthetic reaction or reactions are performed by chemoautotrophic microorganisms that have been improved, optimized or engineered for the fixation of carbon dioxide and/or other forms of inorganic carbon and the production of organic compounds through methods including but not limited to one or more of the following: accelerated mutagenesis, genetic engineering or modification, hybridization, synthetic biology or traditional selective breeding. 
     
     
         86 . A method according to  claim 71  whereby the said chemosynthetic reaction or reactions results in the formation of chemicals including but not limited to acetic acid, other organic acids and salts of organic acids, ethanol, butanol, methane, hydrogen, hydrocarbons, sulfuric acid, sulfate salts, elemental sulfur, sulfides, nitrates, ferric iron and other transition metal ions, other salts, acids or bases. 
     
     
         87 . A method according to  claim 71 , whereby the organic and/or inorganic chemical products recovered from the chemoautotrophic growth medium of the said chemosynthetic reaction or reactions have applications including but not limited to: as biofuels or as feedstock for biofuel production; in the production of fertilizers; as leaching agents for the chemical extraction of metals in mining or bioremediation, as chemicals reagents in industrial or mining processes. 
     
     
         88 . A method according to  claim 71 , whereby biomass and/or biochemicals produced through the said chemosynthetic reaction or reactions has applications including but not limited to: as a biomass fuel for combustion in particular as a fuel to be co-fired with fossil fuels; as a carbon source for large scale fermentations to produce various chemicals including but not limited to commercial enzymes, antibiotics, amino acids, vitamins, bioplastics, glycerol, or 1,3-propanediol; as a nutrient source for the growth of other microbes or organisms; as feed for animals including but not limited to cattle, sheep, chickens, pigs, or fish; as feed stock for alcohol or other biofuel fermentation and/or gasification and liquefaction processes including but not limited to direct liquefaction, Fisher Tropsch processes, methanol synthesis, pyrolysis, or microbial syngas conversions, for the production of liquid fuel; as feed stock for methane or biogas production; as fertilizer; as raw material for manufacturing or chemical processes; as sources of pharmaceutical, medicinal or nutritional substances; soil additives and soil stabilizers. 
     
     
         89 . A method according to  claim 71 , whereby said chemoautotrophic microorganism cultures are maintained in apparatus known in the art and science of microbial culturing including but not limited to: airlift reactors; biological scrubber columns; bioreactors; bubble columns; continuous stirred tank reactors; counter-current, upflow, expanded-bed reactors; digesters and in particular digester systems such as known in the prior arts of sewage and waste water treatment or bioremediation; filters including but not limited to trickling filters, rotating biological contactor filters, rotating discs, soil filters; fluidized bed reactors; gas lift fermenters; immobilized cell reactors; membrane biofilm reactors; mine shafts; pachuca tanks; packed-bed reactors; plug-flow reactors; static mixers; tanks; trickle bed reactors; vats; vertical shaft bioreactors; wells caverns; caves; cisterns; lagoons; ponds; pools; quarries; reservoirs; towers—with the vessel base, siding, walls, lining, or top constructed out of one or more materials including but not limited to bitumen, cement, ceramics, clay, concrete, epoxy, fiberglass, glass, macadam, plastics, sand, sealant, soil, steels or other metals and their alloys, stone, tar, wood, and any combination thereof. 
     
     
         90 . A method according to  claim 71  where additional sequestration of carbon dioxide is accomplished through steps in the carbon capture and conversion process where carbon dioxide is reacted with minerals including but not limited to oxides or hydroxides to form a carbonate or bicarbonate product.