Closed-loop system for growth of aquatic biomass and gasification thereof

Abstract

Processes, systems, and methods for producing combustible gas from wet biomass are provided. In one aspect, for example, a process for generating a combustible gas from a wet biomass in a closed system is provided. Such a process may include growing a wet biomass in a growth chamber, moving at least a portion of the wet biomass to a reactor, heating the portion of the wet biomass under high pressure in the reactor to gasify the wet biomass into a total gas component, separating the gasified component into a liquid component, a non-combustible gas component, and a combustible gas component, and introducing the liquid component and non-combustible gas component containing carbon dioxide into the growth chamber to stimulate new wet biomass growth.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A process for generating a combustible gas from a wet biomass in a closed system, comprising:
 growing a wet biomass in a growth chamber;   moving at least a portion of the wet biomass to a reactor;   heating the portion of the wet biomass under pressure with a catalyst in the reactor to gasify the wet biomass into a gasified component;   separating the gasified component into a condensed liquid, a non-combustible gas component, and a combustible gas component; and   introducing the non-combustible gas component containing carbon dioxide and the liquid component into the growth chamber to stimulate wet biomass growth.   
     
     
         2 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the combustible gas component includes methane. 
     
     
         3 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the combustible gas component includes hydrogen. 
     
     
         4 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the gasified component is removed from the reactor prior to isolating the combustible gas component. 
     
     
         5 . The process of  claim 1 , further comprising introducing a nutrient recaptured from the harvested biomass into the growth chamber to stimulate new biomass growth. 
     
     
         6 . The process of  claim 5 , wherein the nutrient is recaptured from the gasified component. 
     
     
         7 . The process of  claim 5 , wherein the nutrient is recaptured during a preprocessing step which occurs prior to gasification of the harvested biomass. 
     
     
         8 . The process of  claim 5 , wherein the nutrient is ammonia. 
     
     
         9 . The process of  claim 5 , wherein the nutrient is an element including a member selected from the group consisting of nitrogen (N), potassium (K), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), sodium (Na), sulfur (S), phosphorus (P), iron (Fe), and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         10 . The process of  claim 5 , wherein the nutrient is introduced into the growth chamber as a liquid. 
     
     
         11 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the non-combustible gas component is carbon dioxide. 
     
     
         12 . The process of  claim 11 , wherein introducing the non-combustible gas component containing carbon dioxide into the growth chamber further includes:
 dissolving the carbon dioxide in water; and   introducing the water containing the dissolved carbon dioxide into the growth chamber.   
     
     
         13 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the wet biomass includes algae. 
     
     
         14 . The process of  claim 13 , wherein the algae includes a species from the order Cladophorales or Ulvales, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         15 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the wet biomass includes cyanobacteria. 
     
     
         16 . The process of  claim 15 , wherein the cyanobacteria includes a species from the order Oscillatoriales or Nostocales, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         17 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the wet biomass includes a mixture of algae and cyanobacteria. 
     
     
         18 . A closed system for growing a wet biomass and converting said wet biomass into a gasified component, comprising:
 a growth chamber for growing a wet biomass;   a reactor operatively coupled to the growth chamber, said reactor configured to gasify the wet biomass into a total gas component;   a liquid condenser operatively coupled to the reactor;   a gas separator operatively coupled to the reactor, said gas separator configured to separate the gasified component into a combustible gas component and a non-combustible gas component; and   a recycling system operatively coupled to the gas separator and to the growth chamber, said recycling system configured to introduce non-combustible gas from the gas separator into the growth chamber to stimulate wet biomass growth, where the non-combustible gas is introduced into the growth chamber as either as a gas or dissolved in a liquid.   
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 18 , further comprising a liquid recycling system coupled to the liquid condenser and to the growth chamber, said liquid recycling system configured to introduce condensed liquid from then liquid condenser into the growth chamber. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 18 , the recycling system further includes a combustible gas extraction system configured to remove combustible gas from the closed system. 
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein the combustible gas component is methane. 
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein the combustible gas component is hydrogen. 
     
     
         23 . A method of minimizing external nutrient input in a process for producing combustible gases from a wet biomass, comprising:
 growing a wet biomass, extracting a combustible gas from the wet biomass, and utilizing non-combustible nutrients extracted from the wet biomass for further wet biomass growth, where growing, extracting, and introducing occur in a closed system.