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Dual hydrogen production apparatus

a technology of hydrogen production apparatus and hydrogen gas, which is applied in the field of combination apparatus, can solve the problems of difficult to achieve the effect of proximate and easy to combin

Inactive Publication Date: 2006-12-07
FELDER MITCHELL S +2
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  • Summary
  • Abstract
  • Description
  • Claims
  • Application Information

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The present invention is about creating an apparatus that can produce hydrogen using two different methods. The first method involves using microorganisms to produce hydrogen from an organic feed material, while the second method involves using heat from a previous process to deactivate or kill methanogens that would otherwise metabolize the produced hydrogen. The invention also includes combining the two methods using a heat exchanger, which allows for efficient transfer of heat from the second method to the first method. Additionally, the invention includes heating the organic feed material prior to entering the bioreactor, which can kill or deactivate methanogens while leaving the hydrogen producing microorganisms intact. The technical effects of this invention include increased efficiency in hydrogen production and better control over the production process.

Problems solved by technology

Similarly, steam reforming is another expensive method requiring fossil fuels as an energy source.
Substantial and useful creation of hydrogen gas from microorganisms, however, is problematic.
The primary obstacle to sustained production of useful quantities of hydrogen by micro-organisms has been the eventual stoppage of hydrogen production generally coinciding with the appearance of methane.
As the appearance of methanogens in a biological system has previously been largely inevitable, continuous production of hydrogen from hydrogen producing micro-organisms has been unsuccessful in the past.
Indeed, at 2500° C., electrical input is unnecessary because water breaks down to hydrogen and oxygen through thermolysis.
As such temperatures are impractical, however; high temperature electrolyzers operate at about 100 to 1000° C. At higher temperature operating rates, lower levels of energy are required.
In either case, there is never a 100% efficient conversion of the water or steam to hydrogen, resulting in left over heated steam, water and / or oxygen.
However, as not all compounds are converted, this process also results in heat or excess heat in the form of several solutions or gasses of elevated temperatures at elevated temperatures.

Method used

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Examples

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example 1

[0066] The apparatus combines a bioreactor with a high temperature electrolyzer. The organic feed material is a grape juice waste product diluted in tap water at approximately 32 mL of juice per liter. The solution uses chlorine-free tap water or is aerated previously for 24 hours to substantially remove chlorine. The dilution and aeration occur in a treatment container. The organic feed material is then conveyed into the heat exchanger 12 through a passage.

[0067] The organic feed material is heated in the heat exchanger 12 to about 65° C. for about 10 minutes to substantially deactivate methanogens. The organic feed material is heated with excess heat from the high temperature electrolyzer with a heat exchanger. The organic feed material is conveyed through a passage to the bioreactor wherein it is further inoculated with Kleibsiella oxytoca. The resultant biogases produced by the microorganisms metabolizing the organic feed material include hydrogen without any substantial methan...

example 2

[0068] A multiplicity of reactors were initially operated at pH 4.0 and a flow rate of 2.5 mL min−1, resulting in a hydraulic retention time (HRT) of about 13 h (0.55 d). This is equivalent to a dilution rate of 1.8 d−1. After one week all six reactors were at pH 4.0, the ORP ranged from −300 to −450 mV, total gas production averaged 1.6 L d−1 and hydrogen production averaged 0.8 L d−1. The mean COD of the organic feed material during this period was 4,000 mg L−1 and the mean effluent COD was 2,800 mg L−1, for a reduction of 30%. After one week, the pHs of certain reactors were increased by one half unit per day until the six reactors were established at different pH levels ranging from 4.0 to 6.5. Over the next three weeks at the new pH settings, samples were collected and analyzed each weekday. It was found that the optimum for gas production in this embodiment was pH 5.0 at 1.48 L hydrogen d−1 (Table 2). This was equivalent to about 0.75 volumetric units of hydrogen per unit of r...

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Abstract

The present invention provides an apparatus for the dual production of hydrogen, wherein organic feed material of a primary hydrogen production apparatus is heated with excess or diverted heat from a secondary hydrogen production apparatus, thereby substantially deactivating or killing methanogens within the organic feed material. Hydrogen producing microorganisms contained or added to the organic feed material metabolize the organic feed material in a bioreactor to produce hydrogen in a primary hydrogen production apparatus. As the methanogens are no longer substantially present to convert produced hydrogen to methane, a biogas that contains hydrogen without substantial methane can be produced.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION [0001] This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60 / 685,851, filed May 31, 2005, entitled “COMBINATION BIOREACTOR AND ELECTROLYZER FOR PRODUCTION OF HYDROGEN”FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0002] The present invention relates generally to a combination apparatus for concentrated production of hydrogen from hydrogen producing microorganism cultures. More particularly, the invention relates to a method that dually combines a primary hydrogen production apparatus with a secondary hydrogen production apparatus that is different than the primary hydrogen production apparatus. The primary hydrogen production apparatus uses heat or uses heat waste that is produced during typical usage of the secondary hydrogen production apparatus, thereby reducing energy costs of the primary hydrogen production apparatus and conserving energy. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0003] The production of hydrogen is an in...

Claims

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Application Information

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Patent Type & Authority Applications(United States)
IPC IPC(8): C25B1/02
CPCC12M21/04C12M41/26C12M41/28C12M45/20Y02E60/366C25B1/02C25B1/04C25B1/10C12M47/18C25B9/73Y02E60/36Y02P20/129
Inventor FELDER, MITCHELL S.FELDER, JUSTINDIZ, HARRY R.
Owner FELDER MITCHELL S
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