Stacked Membrane Bioreactor

Abstract

Scalable biomaterial-based bioreactors are described. In one embodiment, the bioreactor may comprise perforated plates stacked such that the assembled bioreactor has the necessary manifolds and chambers to transport gas and liquids to a biomaterial contained within the bioreactor, and to remove the reaction products. In another embodiment, single use bioreactors are described. Methods of operating the bioreactors are also described.

1 . A bioreactor, comprising:
 a biomaterial reactor chamber;   a gas reactor chamber in fluid communication with a first side of the biomaterial reactor chamber;   a medium reactor chamber in fluid communication with a second side of the biomaterial reactor chamber;   a gas inlet and a gas outlet in fluid communication with the gas reactor chamber;   a medium inlet and a medium outlet in fluid communication with the medium reactor chamber; and   one or more of:
 a flame arrestor, the flame arrestor being located in one or more of: the gas reactor chamber, the gas inlet, the gas outlet, the medium reactor chamber, the medium inlet, and the medium outlet; and 
 a rigid foam comprised by the gas reactor chamber. 
   
     
     
         2 - 3 . (canceled) 
     
     
         4 . The bioreactor of claim  3 , the biomaterial reactor chamber comprising a living organism capable of using hydrogen gas as a source of energy. 
     
     
         5 . (canceled) 
     
     
         6 . The bioreactor of  claim 1 , the biomaterial reactor chamber comprising  Ralstonia eutropha.    
     
     
         7 . The bioreactor of  claim 1 , wherein the biomaterial reactor chamber includes a membrane assembly, the membrane assembly comprising one or more of:
 a gas permeable membrane comprising one or more of: silicone, polyvinylidene difluoride (PVDF), porous polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), acrylic copolymer, polycarbonate, polypropylene, and modified nylon;   a liquid permeable membrane comprising one or more of: woven material, cloth, mesh, glass fibers, nitrocellulose, mixed cellulose ester (MCE), polycarbonate, modified polycarbonate, polyethersulfone (PES), nylon, ceramic, PTFE, modified PVDF, modified polyacrylonitrile, and modified polypropylene;   a spacer layer comprising an inlet configured to receive biomaterial; and   at least one of an artificial biofilm and a natural biofilm to immobilize biomaterial.   
     
     
         8 - 15 . (canceled) 
     
     
         16 . The bioreactor of  claim 1 , further comprising an oxygen inlet to the medium reactor chamber in fluid communication with outside of the bioreactor. 
     
     
         17 . (canceled) 
     
     
         18 . A bioreactor, comprising:
 a manifold plate having a gas inlet, a gas outlet, a medium inlet, and a medium outlet;   a gas delivery plate having a gas reactor chamber, a gas inlet manifold in fluid communication with the gas reactor chamber and the gas inlet, a gas outlet manifold in fluid communication with the gas reactor chamber and the gas outlet, a medium inlet manifold in fluid communication with the medium inlet, and a medium outlet manifold in fluid communication with the medium outlet;   a biomaterial plate having a biomaterial reactor chamber, a gas inlet manifold in fluid communication with the gas delivery plate gas inlet manifold, a gas outlet manifold in fluid communication with the gas delivery plate gas outlet manifold, a medium inlet manifold in fluid communication with the gas delivery plate medium inlet manifold, and a medium outlet manifold in fluid communication with the gas delivery plate medium outlet manifold;   a medium delivery plate having a medium reactor chamber, a gas inlet manifold in fluid communication with the biomaterial plate gas inlet manifold, a gas outlet manifold in fluid communication with the biomaterial plate gas outlet manifold, a medium inlet manifold in fluid communication with the medium reactor chamber and the biomaterial plate medium inlet manifold, and   a medium outlet manifold in fluid communication with the medium reactor chamber and the biomaterial plate medium outlet manifold; and   an end plate.   
     
     
         19 . The bioreactor of  claim 18 , comprising one or more of: a plurality of the gas delivery plates, a plurality of the biomaterial plates, and a plurality of the medium delivery plates. 
     
     
         20 . The bioreactor of  claim 18 , further comprising a flame arrestor in one or more of: the gas reactor chamber, the gas inlet, the gas outlet, the medium reactor chamber, the medium inlet, the medium outlet, the gas delivery plate gas inlet manifold, the gas delivery plate gas outlet manifold, the gas delivery plate medium inlet manifold, the gas delivery plate medium outlet manifold, the medium delivery plate gas inlet manifold, the medium delivery plate gas outlet manifold, the medium delivery plate medium inlet manifold, and the medium delivery plate medium outlet manifold. 
     
     
         21 . The bioreactor of  claim 18 :
 the gas delivery plate gas inlet manifold and the gas delivery plate gas outlet manifold being located on opposite sides of the gas delivery plate, and the gas delivery plate medium inlet manifold and the gas delivery plate medium outlet manifold being located on opposites sides of the gas delivery plate;   the biomaterial plate gas inlet manifold and the biomaterial plate gas outlet manifold being located on opposite sides of the biomaterial plate, and the biomaterial plate medium inlet manifold and the biomaterial plate medium outlet manifold being located on opposite sides of the biomaterial plate; and   the medium delivery plate gas inlet manifold and the medium delivery plate gas outlet manifold being located on opposite sides of the medium delivery plate, and the medium delivery plate medium outlet manifold and medium delivery plate medium outlet manifold being located on opposite sides of the medium delivery plate.   
     
     
         22 - 23 . (canceled) 
     
     
         24 . The bioreactor of  claim 18 , wherein the biomaterial reactor chamber includes a membrane assembly comprising:
 a spacer layer having an inlet tube and an outlet tube;   a gas permeable layer on a first side of the spacer layer;   a liquid permeable layer on a second side of the spacer layer;   a gas- and liquid-permeable layer on a side of the gas permeable layer substantially opposite the first side; and   a gas- and liquid-permeable layer on a side of the liquid permeable layer substantially opposite the second side.   
     
     
         25 . The bioreactor of  claim 24 , wherein the membrane assembly includes a cavity formed by the spacer layer, the gas permeable layer, and the liquid permeable layer. 
     
     
         26 . A bioreactor, comprising:
 a first outer shell;   a hydrophilic membrane;   a biomaterial, the biomaterial comprising a living organism capable of using hydrogen gas as a source of energy;   a hydrophobic membrane; and   a second outer shell.   
     
     
         27 . The bioreactor of  claim 26 , wherein at least one of:
 the first outer shell and the second outer shell comprise the same or different material, comprising one or more of: ABS, acrylic, polycarbonate, polyethylene, polypropylene, polyester, and nylon;   the hydrophilic membrane comprises one or more of: modified PVDF, modified polyacrylonitrile, modified polycarbonate, PES, modified polypropylene, PTFE, and nylon; and   the hydrophobic membrane comprises one or more of: silicone, polyvinylidene difluoride (PVDF), porous polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), acrylic copolymer, polycarbonate, polypropylene, and modified nylon.   
     
     
         28 - 30 . (canceled) 
     
     
         31 . The bioreactor of  claim 26 , wherein the biomaterial comprises  Ralstonia eutropha.    
     
     
         32 . (canceled) 
     
     
         33 . The bioreactor of  claim 26 , further comprising a flame arrestor, the flame arrestor comprised of at least one of porous open-cell foam and mesh. 
     
     
         34 . A method for making a bio-based product, the method comprising:
 introducing H 2  gas into a bioreactor on a first side of a biomaterial reactor chamber containing biomaterial;   introducing medium containing O 2  into the bioreactor on a second side of the biomaterial reactor chamber;   introducing CO 2  into the bioreactor on the first side, the second side, or both, wherein the biomaterial produces the bio-based product from the H 2 , the CO 2 , and the O 2 ;   outletting the bio-based product from the bioreactor; and   removing the H 2  gas from the gas reactor chamber through a gas outlet manifold and a gas outlet.   
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 34 , wherein the bio-based product is outletted from the bioreactor with the medium, with the H 2  gas, or with both. 
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 34 , wherein one or more of:
 introducing H 2  gas into the bioreactor comprises introducing the H 2  gas through a gas inlet to a gas inlet manifold to a gas reactor chamber on the first side of the biomaterial reactor chamber; and   introducing the medium into the bioreactor comprises introducing the medium through a medium inlet to a medium inlet manifold to a medium reactor chamber on the second side of the biomaterial reactor chamber.   
     
     
         37 - 38 . (canceled) 
     
     
         39 . The method of claim  38 , further comprising one or more of:
 removing the medium from the medium reactor chamber through a medium outlet manifold and a medium outlet; and   wherein the bio-based product is outletted from the bioreactor with the medium, separating the bio-based product from the medium by distillation.   
     
     
         40 - 41 . (canceled) 
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 34 , wherein the bioreactor comprises:
 a manifold plate having a gas inlet, a gas outlet, a medium inlet, and a medium outlet;   a gas delivery plate having a gas reactor chamber, a gas inlet manifold in fluid communication with the gas reactor chamber, a gas outlet manifold in fluid communication with the gas reactor chamber, a medium inlet manifold in fluid communication with the medium inlet, and a medium outlet manifold in fluid communication with the medium outlet;   a biomaterial plate having the biomaterial reactor chamber, a gas inlet manifold in fluid communication with the gas delivery plate gas inlet manifold, a gas outlet manifold in fluid communication with the gas delivery plate gas outlet manifold, a medium inlet manifold in fluid communication with the gas delivery plate medium inlet manifold, and a medium outlet manifold in fluid communication with the gas delivery plate medium outlet manifold;   a medium delivery plate having a medium reactor chamber, a gas inlet manifold in fluid communication with the biomaterial plate gas inlet manifold, a gas outlet manifold in fluid communication with the biomaterial plate gas outlet, a medium inlet manifold in fluid communication with the medium reactor chamber and the biomaterial plate medium inlet manifold, and a medium outlet manifold in fluid communication with the medium reactor chamber and the biomaterial plate medium outlet manifold; and   an end plate.