Biomass Pyrolysis and Torrefaction for Fermentation Substrate
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for converting waste gases, primarily CO and H2, into fuels and chemicals through microbial fermentation are not scalable or integrated into industrial processes, leading to inefficiencies and greenhouse gas emissions from industrial plants.
Innovation Solution
A method involving biomass liquefaction through torrefaction or pyrolysis to produce a gaseous substrate, which is then fermented by carboxydotrophic acetogenic microorganisms to generate valuable products, with a closed-loop system for recycling biomass and optimizing gas concentrations for enhanced efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If microbial fermentation is used to convert waste gases into fuels and chemicals, then higher specificity and yields are achieved, but the process is slower than catalytic processes
Solution Approach 1:
The process is divided into two separate reaction stages: a catalytic conversion stage that rapidly converts CO and H2 into intermediate products, and a microbial fermentation stage that subsequently converts these intermediates into final fuel and chemical products with high specificity. This segmentation allows each stage to optimize for its respective strength - speed in catalysis and precision in fermentation.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention merges catalytic conversion and microbial fermentation into a single integrated process system where the effluent from the catalytic converter is directly fed to the fermenter. This combination allows the system to achieve both the high reaction rates of catalysis and the high specificity of fermentation, producing fuels and chemicals that neither process could achieve alone.
2Speed
If catalytic processes are used to convert CO and H2 into fuels and chemicals, then faster reaction rates are achieved, but lower specificity and yields result
Solution Approach 1:
The conversion process is segmented into two distinct stages: catalytic conversion for rapid production of intermediate compounds, followed by microbial fermentation for high-specificity conversion to final products. This segmentation allows the system to leverage the speed advantage of catalysis while ultimately achieving the specificity advantage of fermentation.
Solution Approach 2:
The catalytic conversion process acts as an intermediary stage that transforms waste gases into suitable substrates for microbial fermentation. This intermediary step enables the system to utilize the fast reaction rates of catalysis to prepare materials that are then processed with high specificity by the microbial system, achieving both speed and precision.
3Loss of energy
If waste gases from industrial plants are flared or used as fuel, then energy is released, but greenhouse gas CO2 emissions increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention converts the harmful waste gases (CO and H2) that would otherwise be flared and produce CO2 emissions into valuable fuel and chemical products through microbial fermentation. This process transforms a harmful environmental problem into a beneficial resource, simultaneously reducing greenhouse gas emissions and producing useful commodities.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of discarding waste gases through flaring, the system recovers and utilizes them as substrates for microbial fermentation. The CO and H2 that would be lost as harmful emissions are captured and converted into fuels and chemicals, achieving both waste reduction and resource recovery.
4Quantity of substance
If biomass is subjected to pyrolysis to produce gaseous substrate, then valuable liquid and gas products are obtained, but complex process integration is required
Solution Approach 1:
The invention merges biomass pyrolysis with microbial fermentation in an integrated process where the gaseous products from pyrolysis are directly fed to fermentative microorganisms. This combination simplifies the overall process by eliminating the need for separate waste gas treatment and fuel production systems, while maximizing the utilization of biomass-derived gases.
Solution Approach 2:
The microbial fermentation system serves multiple functions: it converts pyrolysis gases into fuels and chemicals, simultaneously acts as a gas cleaning step, and produces valuable metabolic products. This multi-functionality reduces the need for additional separate process units, simplifying the overall system despite the complexity of integrating pyrolysis and fermentation.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach enables the production of desirable products like ethanol and high-grade kerosene while reducing greenhouse gas emissions and improving energy efficiency by integrating microbial fermentation into industrial processes.
Implementation Method 1
Torrefaction involves subjecting biomass to relatively low temperatures (150-300 °C) in the absence of air or oxygen. Volatile materials are created and then driven off, producing a densified carbon rich solid similar to coal. The gas stream produced contains CO and CO2.
Implementation Method 2
Pyrolysis is a thermochemical decomposition of organic material at elevated temperatures (typically at temperature above 450-500 °C) without the participation of oxygen. It involves the simultaneous change of chemical composition and physical phase, and is irreversible.
Implementation Method 3
Micro-organisms may also be used to convert these gases into fuels and chemicals. These biological processes, although generally slower than chemical reactions, have several advantages over catalytic processes, including higher specificity, higher yields, lower energy costs and greater resistance to poisoning.
Implementation Method 4
The ability of micro-organisms to grow on CO as a sole carbon source was first discovered in 1903. This was later determined to be a property of organisms that use the acetyl coenzyme A (acetyl CoA) biochemical pathway of autotrophic growth (also known as the Woods-Ljungdahl pathway and the carbon monoxide dehydrogenase / acetyl CoA synthase (CODH/ACS) pathway).
Implementation Method 5
Torrefaction involves subjecting biomass to relatively low temperatures (150-300 °C) in the absence of air or oxygen. Volatile materials are created and then driven off, producing a densified carbon rich solid similar to coal.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
AI summary
The invention provides methods and systems for the production of at least one product from the microbial fermentation of a gaseous susbtrate, wherein the gaseous substrate is derived from a biomass liquefaction process. The invention provides a method for improving efficiency of the fermentation by passing biomass accumulated in the fermentation process to the biomass liquefaction process for conversion to a gaseous substrate. In a particular aspect of the invention, the biomass liquefaction process is selected from pyrolysis or torrefaction.