Bioreactive Oxygen Extraction in Phototrophic Microorganism Hydrogen Production
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current photocatalytic hydrogen production methods face challenges such as the risk of explosion due to oxyhydrogen gas formation, inactivation of oxygen-sensitive enzymes, and the need for specific conditions or high costs, particularly due to the inability to effectively separate and manage oxygen produced during the process.
Innovation Solution
A method involving the bioreactive extraction of oxygen in a reaction space using phototrophic microorganisms, where oxygen is bound in situ through oxidation of an oxygen-utilizing substrate, employing enzymes like hydrogenase, nitrogenase, and oxidoreductase to separate and deactivate oxygen at the point of production, allowing for continuous hydrogen production without spatial separation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If oxygen is not separated from hydrogen production process, then process simplicity is maintained, but explosion risk increases due to oxyhydrogen formation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts oxygen from the reaction mixture using oxygen-binding systems (enzymes like oxidases, peroxidases, or chemical binders) that selectively bind oxygen as it is produced during photosynthetic water splitting. This removes oxygen from the system before it can accumulate and form explosive oxyhydrogen mixtures with hydrogen, while maintaining a relatively simple single-reactor configuration.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces oxygen-binding systems as intermediary substances that mediate between the oxygen production (photosynthesis) and hydrogen production (hydrogenase activity). These intermediaries (enzymes or chemicals) temporarily bind oxygen, preventing direct contact between oxygen and hydrogen, thus eliminating explosion risk without requiring complex physical separation infrastructure.
2Duration of action of moving object
If oxygen is not removed from reaction space, then process continuity is maintained, but hydrogenase inactivation occurs due to oxygen sensitivity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent continuously extracts oxygen from the reaction space using oxygen-binding systems that operate concurrently with hydrogen production. This maintains anaerobic conditions necessary for hydrogenase stability and activity throughout the process, enabling continuous operation without enzyme inactivation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs oxygen-binding systems that act preliminarily to prevent oxygen from reaching hydrogenase enzymes. By binding oxygen as soon as it is produced during photosynthesis, the system prevents oxygen exposure to hydrogenase before damage can occur, ensuring enzyme reliability throughout continuous operation.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If spatial separation of oxygen and hydrogen production is implemented, then safety is improved, but process complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges oxygen production (photosynthesis in algae/cyanobacteria) and hydrogen production (hydrogenase-catalyzed reduction) into a single reaction space containing all necessary components: phototrophic microorganisms, hydrogenase enzymes, and oxygen-binding systems. This integrated approach ensures safety through chemical oxygen binding while avoiding the complexity of separate reactors and interconnection infrastructure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses oxygen-binding systems as intermediaries that enable safe coexistence of oxygen-producing and hydrogen-producing processes in the same space. These intermediaries chemically bind oxygen, creating a safe environment for hydrogen accumulation without requiring physical separation barriers or complex reactor designs.
4Reliability
If temporal separation of oxygen formation and hydrogen production is used, then oxygen sensitivity is protected, but productivity decreases due to non-productive phases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables continuous simultaneous operation of photosynthesis (oxygen production) and hydrogen production through the use of oxygen-binding systems. The oxygen binders continuously remove oxygen as it is produced, maintaining anaerobic conditions for hydrogenase activity throughout the entire process duration, eliminating non-productive phases and maximizing hydrogen production rate.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs oxygen-binding intermediaries that enable continuous hydrogen production by mediating oxygen removal in real-time. These intermediaries ensure hydrogenase enzymes remain protected from oxygen throughout continuous operation, allowing uninterrupted hydrogen production without temporal separation cycles that would reduce productivity.
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 safe and efficient production of hydrogen by directly capturing and deactivating oxygen, preventing oxyhydrogen formation and enzyme inactivation, thus making the process more stable, environmentally friendly, and cost-effective on an industrial scale.
Implementation Method 1
In algae reactors, sunlight and water can be converted directly into hydrogen using photosynthesis. The enzymatic process consists of two steps. In the first step, the photosynthetic light reaction splits the water into protons, electrons and molecular oxygen.
Implementation Method 2
in situ binding of resulting oxygen by the microorganism through oxidation of an oxygen-utilizing substrate, wherein the at least one phototrophic microorganism has or produces at least one oxygen-converting enzyme.
Data Source
Figure 1
AI summary
The invention relates to a method for extracting oxygen from a reaction chamber, to the use of micro-organisms in a process of this type and to a photo-bioreactor for carrying out the method. According to the invention, the process comprises the steps - irradiating at least one phototrophic micro-organism with light under anaerobic conditions in a reaction chamber, and in-situ bonding of formed oxygen by means of the micro-organism, by the oxidation of an oxygen-salvaging substrate.