143 results about "Biogenic gas" patented technology

This invention provides a waste-processing system capable of processing high-solids wastes such as manure. This invention provides a compact U-shaped digester that allows for recycling of activated sludge to improve the efficiency of the process. Efficiency is also improved through a sludge heating design that creates a current in the digester and efficiently heats the sludge. A composter is provided to further process the sludge through aerobic digestion to create usable fertilizer. Finally, one embodiment provides a turbine that is fueled by biological gases from the digester to generate heat and electricity to be used by the system.

Methods of stimulating biogenic production of a metabolic product with enhanced hydrogen content are described. The methods may include accessing a consortium of microorganisms in a geologic formation that includes a carbonaceous material. They may also include providing a phosphorous compound to the microorganisms. The phosphorous compound stimulates the consortium to metabolize the carbonaceous material into a metabolic product with enhanced hydrogen content. Also, methods of stimulating biogenic production of a metabolic product with enhanced hydrogen content by providing a yeast extract amenment to a consortium of microorganisms is described. The yeast extract amendment stimulates the consortium to metabolize carbonaceous material in the formation into the metabolic product with enhanced hydrogen content.

The present invention provides methods and systems for producing biofuel and bioenergy products using, as starting raw material, xenobiotic materials or compounds. The xenobiotic materials or compounds may originate from industrial or chemical plants, municipal waste, pharmaceutical products, cosmetic and personal care products, or other sources, and may include aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons, chlorinated organic solvents and other halogenated hydrocarbons, as well as heteroaromatic compounds. In accordance with the invention, these materials act as a carbon source to support the metabolism of xenobiotic-degrading microorganisms, thereby producing biomass and/or biogas that may be converted to bioenergy products by microbial synthesis. For example, the biomass may be converted to products such as ethanol, methanol, butanol, and methane, among others. The biogas may be converted to hydrogen gas and biodiesel, among others. Thus, the present invention couples the microbial breakdown (decomposition) of xenobiotic materials with the microbial synthesis of biofuel, thereby supplying needed (inexpensive) energy products, while reducing environmental pollution and contamination, and reducing the costs associated with disposal of hazardous waste.

Methods of conditioning a carbonaceous material in a subterranean geologic formation for metabolism into a compound with enhanced hydrogen content by a microorganism consortium are described. The methods may include the steps of accessing the subterranean geologic formation through an access point, and contacting the carbonaceous material with a surfactant. The microorganism consortium can utilize the surfactant as a first nutrient source. The surfactant also increases accessibility of the carbonaceous material as a second nutrient source for the microorganism consortium. The microorganism consortium metabolizes the carbonaceous material into the compound with the enhanced hydrogen content.

Methods of stimulating biogenic production of a metabolic product with enhanced hydrogen content are described. The methods may include accessing a consortium of microorganisms in a geologic formation that includes a carbonaceous material. They may also include providing hydrogen and one or more phosphorous compounds to the microorganisms. The combination of the hydrogen and phosphorous compounds stimulates the consortium to metabolize the carbonaceous material into the metabolic product with enhanced hydrogen content. Also, methods of stimulating biogenic production of a metabolic product with enhanced hydrogen content by providing a carboxylate compound, such as acetate, to a consortium of microorganisms is described. The carboxylate compound stimulates the consortium to metabolize carbonaceous material in the formation into the metabolic product with enhanced hydrogen content.

Methods of resource recovery include reagents placed in a subterranean formation. The reagents generate heat, hydrogen gas and alkalinity which changes fluid flow characteristics. The forces of the reactions create fractures and cracks far from the well bore. These cracks and fractures are sealed if water is being transmitted through or near the reactions. As a result, the targeted fluids more efficiently flow to the well, along with decreased amounts of water waste, while stimulating generation of biogenic gases in the subterranean formations.

The invention discloses a novel spouted circulating fluidized bed timber quick pyrogenation device and a process method. The device comprises a spouted fluidized bed reactor, a fluidizing agent circulatory system, a monitoring system, a heating system, a feeding system, a gas-solid separation system, a charcoal collecting system, a condensation system, a fluidizing agent dehumidification system, a pressure stabilizing system, an incondensable gas collecting system and other parts. The process method includes process procedures such as putting the pre-processed materials in the feeding system, controlling the reaction temperature, the flow and other process parameters of the device and collecting the products such as bio-oil, charcoal and biogas, etc,. The timber quick pyrogenation device has the advantages of simple and compact structure, stable operation, large material application scope and easy automatic control; and the process method thereof has the advantages of simple operation, low operation cost, high production efficiency and good product quality.

Granulated Activated Carbon (GAC) is used to remove hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) from the biogas produced in an anaerobic digester. The cleaned biogas is then combusted in a reciprocating engine. The exhaust of the engine is passed through a heat exchanger and then through GAC in an adsorber to adsorb nitrogen oxides (NOx) and any sulfur oxides (SOx). The GACs containing NOx, H₂S, and SOx, are transported to a microwave reactor, mixed, and exposed to microwave energy. The H₂S and NOx are desorbed from the GAC and chemically combined to produce nitrogen, carbon dioxide, sulfur and water. Unreacted nitrogen oxides or hydrogen sulfide are transported to a second reactor containing carbon media to be reacted by a further microwave process. Sulfur is removed with a filter as a solid and the remaining inert components are vented to the atmosphere. The GAC is regenerated and reused to remove additional H₂S and NOx.

The present disclosure relates, according to some embodiments, to systems and methods for processing organic compounds, such as manure or other organic waste. Embodiments may comprise a first containment or mixing chamber, a first anaerobic chamber, and a second anaerobic chamber. A first anaerobic chamber may receive organic compounds from a first containment or mixing chamber, and may provide a fluid stream to a second anaerobic chamber. The second anaerobic chamber may comprise a substrate, such as lava rock, with bacteria growing thereon. Further, biogas generated in one or both of the first anaerobic chamber and the second anaerobic chamber may be purified in a first stage using a water scrubber to remove a majority of the carbon dioxide and other contaminants from the biogas, and in a second stage using a pressure swing adsorption unit to reduce carbon dioxide and other contaminants to pipeline acceptable levels. Further yet, carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulfide gases generated during the biogas purification process may be injected into a water-containing chamber in the presence of bacteria and oxygen to convert the hydrogen sulfide to elemental sulfur and/or sulfate

A biogas purification method includes injecting biogas into a pressure vessel, cooling the pressure vessel to a first predetermined temperature and pressurizing the pressure vessel to a predetermined pressure. The method further includes visually monitoring separation of a biogas impurity from a product gas during an induction period, isolating the product gas from the biogas impurity at a clathrate formation equilibrium by removing the product gas from the pressure vessel and passing the product gas through water to yield a purified gas.

A natural gas-containing stream such as biogas from landfills and sewage treatment plants is freed of siloxane contaminants by passing the biogas through a bed containing an adsorbent having a neutral surface, which adsorbs the siloxanes. When the bed of neutral adsorbent is filled to capacity, the adsorbent bed is heated to remove the siloxanes and regenerate the bed. The neutral adsorbent reduces disadvantageous reactions between the adsorbent and siloxane and other impurities in the natural gas-containing stream.

Methods to enhance biogenic gas production in an anaerobic geologic formation containing carbonaceous material are described. The methods may include the steps of accessing the anaerobic formation, increasing a rate of production of the biogenic gases in the anaerobic formation, and flowing formation water within the anaerobic formation after the increase in the production of biogenic gases. Also described are methods to redistribute formation water in an anaerobic geologic formation containing carbonaceous material. The methods may include the steps of locating a reservoir of the formation water within the anaerobic formation, forming at least one channel between the reservoir and at least a portion of the carbonaceous material, and transporting the formation water from the reservoir to the carbonaceous material through the channel. Further described are methods of accumulating biogenic gas in an anaerobic geologic formation to enhance biogenic gas production.

The invention relates to systems and methods for using the anaerobic digestion (AD) process, especially thermophilic anaerobic digestion (TAD), to destroy biohazard materials including prion-containing specified risk materials (SRM), viral, and/or bacterial pathogens, etc. The added advantage of the invention also includes using feedstocks that may contain such biohazard materials to achieve enhanced biogas production, in the form of improved biogas quality and quantity.

The present invention relates to the use of hydrocarbons derived from natural gas in the fermentative production of biochemicals including biofuels. More specifically, the present invention provides the method for manufacturing dihydroxyacetone (“DHA”) from natural gas, biogas, biomass and CO₂ released from industrial plants including electricity-generating plants, steel mills and cement factories and the use of DHA as a source of organic carbon in the fermentative production of biochemicals including biofuels. The present invention comprises three stages. In the first stage of the present invention, syngas and formaldehyde are produced from natural gas, biogas, biomass and CO₂ released from industrial plants. In the second stage of the present invention, formaldehyde and syngas are condensed to produce DHA. In the third stage of the present invention, biochemicals including biofuels are produced from DHA using fermentation process involving wild type or genetically modified microbial biocatalysts.

Methods of dispersing an activation agent, nutrient, or both to a carbonaceous material to stimulate production of a biogenic gas are described. The methods may include accessing a subterranean geologic formation containing the carbonaceous material, and supplying a mixture to the formation. The mixture may include an activation agent or nutrient mixed with a dispersed phase and a continuous phase. The method may also include contacting the carbonaceous material with the mixture, and distributing at least a portion of the activation agent or nutrient over and/or into the carbonaceous material from the dispersed phase. The production of biogenic gases is increased by microorganisms that are stimulated by the distributed activation agent or nutrient to convert a portion of the carbonaceous material into the biogenic gases.

This invention discloses Streptococcus zooepidemicus (CGMCC No.1988) for reducing petroleum viacosity and increasing petroleum yield, and its application. Streptococcus zooepidemicus is applied by: inoculating in petroleum, and fermenting at 20-60 deg.C for 8-72 h. Streptococcus zooepidemicus can reduce petroleum viacosity from 8000-15000 mPa.s to 50-250mPa.s, increase petroleum acid value by 8-15 times and light component contents, reduce wax and glue contents by 50-95%, improve rheological property of petroleum, reduce interfacial tension between water and oil, increase organic acid contents in fermented petroleum, and increase oil layer pressure and petroleum fluidity. Besides, CO2, biogas and hyaluronic acid are generated during the fermentation process, thus fermented petroleum is easy to emulsify, moisten and disperse. Streptococcus zooepidemicus can be used in oil production, especially microbe-enhanced oil production and petroleum transportation.