Method for modular design, fabrication and assembly of integrated biocolumn systems with multiple downstream outputs

Abstract

Present invention relates to a modular system for fabrication of a biocolumn for generating fuel stocks. The biocolumn of independent units called modules and which function as independent units and can be assembled together to fabricate a biocolumn. These modules can be assembled together to form various zones of biocolumn. Fuel stocks can be prepared by inputting a nutrient, a renewable energy source, photon energy and a carbon source into said zones and outputting fuel stock and by products from zones. The zones are interconnected so that byproducts from each zone can be recycled as input or transformed into product.

Claims

1. A system for generating fuel stocks comprising a plurality of assembled zones, fabricated by stacking or laterally arranging, prefabricated modules, wherein said prefabricated modules form a biocolumn, said biocolumn comprised of an aerobic zone, a microaerophilic zone, an oxidizing zone, a redox microtransition zone, and a reducing zone; wherein each zone is connected with the preceding and subsequent zones to allow communication, exchange of nutrients, and symbiotic consumption between species from different zones; and wherein one or more of a nutrient, a renewable energy source, photon energy or a carbon source can be added into a zone and one or more of a fuel stock or by-product can be removed, wherein one or more by-products from each zone can be recycled back into any of the zones, wherein a biomass by-product of the aerobic zone is recycled into the microaerophilic zone and a biomass by-product of the microaerophilic zone is recycled into the redox microtransition zone or reducing zone, wherein photon energy is obtained from submerged LEDs and wherein said submerged LEDs are mounted on distributing tubes that provide nutrient input in such a manner as to sweep lenses of the submersed LEDs and prevent growth build up that would block light, wherein said nutrient is selected from a group consisting of a geothermal fluid, an organic waste slurry biomass, a coal, a hydrocarbon and combinations thereof.

2. The system for generating fuel stocks according to claim 1, wherein said renewable energy source is a geothermal energy, a solar thermal energy, a photovoltaic energy, an external waste heat, a heat of internal reactions or combinations thereof.

3. The system for generating fuel stocks according to claim 1 wherein said nutrient is water containing.

4. The system for generating fuel stocks according to claim 1, wherein said carbon source is selected from a group consisting of atmospheric air, a carbon dioxide source, an organic waste, a coal, a hydrocarbons, a geothermal fluid, an internal product of said consortium growth, propagation and reaction, and combinations thereof.

5. The system for generating fuel stocks according to claim 1, wherein said modules are interconnected to function as a complete biocolumn.

6. The system for generating fuel stocks according to claim 1, wherein LEDs operating at one-sixth of the normal intensity of sunlight at just a level at which algae growth plateaus, before additional light intensity is wasted or actually inhibits additional growth, are used.

7. The system for generating fuel stocks according to claim 1, wherein said LEDs are pulsed to allow proximate algae to recover from the acceptance of a photon and be ready to receive another are used.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram of a biocolumn known in prior art, with energy, carbon and nutrient inputs to a structure and showing outputs of product gases, liquids and solids.

(2) FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram of a biocolumn known in prior art, indicating the possible sources of energy, carbon and nutrient inputs for the biocolumn at selected zones and the possible outputs of desired product gases, liquids and solids.

(3) FIG. 3 depicts a conceptual process flow diagram of a biocolumn system with potential input and output sources indicated as well as downstream processing of commercial products.

(4) FIG. 4 depicts a plan view of a modular land-based biocolumn tank prefabricated in six 40 ft ISO shipping containers that are assembled on site into an 86 high ring, 80 in diameter.

(5) FIG. 5 depicts a side view of a modular, land-based biocolumn tank made up of twelve, six module rings assembled on site and supported on a concrete footing.

(6) FIG. 6 depicts a single, 86 high, prefabricated tank wall module that makes up 60 degrees of a single ring of the biocolumn tank.

(7) FIG. 7 depicts a plan view and two cross sections of a horizontal tank made up of three prefabricated modules.

(8) FIG. 8 depicts a plan view and two cross sections of a buffer tank, with input and output feeds, made up of nine prefabricated modules.

(9) FIG. 9 depicts a plan view and cross sections of an array of ten biocolumn tanks supported by a floating structure tethered to the bottom of a body of water.

(10) FIG. 10 depicts a plan view and cross sections of an array of sixteen biocolumn tanks fabricated inside the hull of a single, or double hulled tanker.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(11) The present invention provides a modular structure of an open system, called biocolumn, which systematizes consortia under man-made conditions that maximizes the rate of conversion of carbon to biomass. Subsequently, this biomass can be used directly or converted to gases, chemicals, fuels or other commercial products. Using non-fungible available and renewable thermal energy sources to drive these processes will allow them to be converted to fungible products. This invention discloses a system for fabricating a biocolumn. The system of instant invention comprises of modules, which can be assembled onsite. The system lowers the capital cost and reduces site installation time of biocolumn systems.

(12) The present invention involves use of a multi-level array of LEDs space to maximize the amount of algae exposed to the light in spite of the blocking effect of the algae in the water. Unlike conventional trough or tube photobioreactors, this type of array will allow for even light distribution throughout the entire volume of the tank.

(13) In an embodiment of the invention, the array of LED includes LEDs arranged approximately six inches apart vertically.

(14) According to an aspect of the invention, LEDs operating at a fraction of the normal intensity of sunlight (approximately one-sixth) at just the level at which algae growth plateaus, before additional light intensity is wasted or actually inhibits additional growth, are used.

(15) According to another aspect of the invention, LEDs that are pulse to allow the proximate algae to recover from the acceptance of a photon and be ready to receive another are used.

(16) According to another aspect of the invention, LED fixtures that are mounted on distributing tubes that provide nutrient input in such a manner as to sweep the LED lenses and prevent growth buildup that would block the light, are used.

(17) FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 describes biocolumn of prior art. The biocolumn system as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 consist of several discrete zones that will need to be maintained at different temperatures and pH levels in order to maintain optimal nutrient feed rates, ii) harvest products, and, iii) remove waste necessary to support optimal growth rates of algal biomass. Biocolumn has a column cap 301 and a column wall 302 and a column base 303. These zones are:

(18) 1. Aerobic Zone,

(19) 2. Microaerophilic Zone,

(20) 3. Oxidizing Zone,

(21) 4. Redox Microtransition Zone, and

(22) 5. Reducing Zone.

(23) Due to the different growth rates and lifespan of the various species, and their individual requirements for nutrients, each of these zones are housed in separate tanks sized to support the maximum overall biomass production rate for the integrated biocolumn system.

(24) FIG. 3 shows a conceptual process flow diagram for an integrated biocolumn system, including multiple downstream processing subsystems that will create salable products from all gaseous, liquid and solid output streams. Upstream input preprocessing options have been omitted to simplify this description. The Aerobic Zone is capable of receiving the widest range of substrate inputs, photons, air, oxygen, carbon dioxide, carbon, nitrogen and their compounds. In addition to the chemical potential of the substrates, photons and heat will also provide useful energy input.

(25) In the Aerobic zone community the following will form:

(26) 1. Algaes

(27) (Elikaryotic photoautotrophs)

(28) 2. cyanobacteria

(29) (prokaryotic photoautotrophs)

(30) 3. Heterotrophs

(31) (vibrios)

(32) (pseudomonades) (CH2O)x+O2.fwdarw.CO2+

(33) Depending on the range of available inputs and locally viable species, this zone may be further broken up into separate tanks to increase total biomass output or to focus on any readily harvestable outputs that can be directly sold as products or used as precursors in downstream manufacturing processes in such markets as cosmetics and pharmaceuticals.

(34) Although energy output is the primary goal of the system, overall system profitability is the ultimate guide to output optimization. This is the same path that the oil industry has followed in the evolution of refining. Large quantities of commodity fuels are produced with the overall income stream being supplemented by the production of small amounts of high-value products, such as lubricants.

(35) The goal of this, and all other sections, is to determine the optimal feed rates of nutrients and the matching disposal rates of waste and useful products that can maintain growth at bloom rates without a population crash. Zone sizes are determined by the need to match the various input and output streams as well as the inter-zonal communication needed to support overall consortial stability.

(36) Microaerophilic zone community, is deprived of the direct injection of oxygen, the following is formed:

(37) 1. Prokaryptic chemoautotrophs

(38) a. Nitrifiers

(39) (nitrosomonos) NH.sub.4.sup.+.fwdarw.NO.sub.2.sup.+

(40) (nitrobacter) NO.sub.4.sup.+.fwdarw.NO.sub.2

(41) b. Sulfur oxidizers

(42) (thiobacillus) S.sub.2.sup..fwdarw.SO.sub.4.sup.2

(43) c. Methane oxidizers

(44) (methylococcus) CH.sub.4+O.sub.2.fwdarw.CO.sub.2

(45) Below this is the Oxidizing Zone, which propagates:

(46) 1. Methane oxidizers

(47) 2. Heterotrophs

(48) Denitrifiers

(49) (pseudomonads) NO.sub.2.sup..fwdarw.N.sub.2

(50) Sulfate reducers

(51) (desulfombrio) SO4.sub.2.sup..fwdarw.S.sub.2.sup.

(52) 3. Iron oxidizers

(53) Fe.sub.2.sup.+.fwdarw.Fe.sub.3.sup.+

(54) This is followed by Redox Microtransition Zone, which forms:

(55) 1. anaerobic photoanitotrophs

(56) red-green sulfur bacteria

(57) 2. heterotrotrophs

(58) anaerobic chemoautotrophs

(59) Final section of the biomass synthesis section of the biocolumn is Reducing Zone which supports:

(60) 1. fermenters (vibrios)

(61) (CH.sub.2O)x.fwdarw.CO.sub.2+(C+R)

(62) 2. heterotrotrophs

(63) Sulfur reducers (desulfovibrio)

(64) SO.sub.4.sup.2.fwdarw.S.sub.2.sup.

(65) 3. methogens (methonococcus)

(66) CO.sub.2+H.sub.2.fwdarw.C

(67) 4. iron reducers

(68) Fe.sub.3.sup.+.fwdarw.Fe.sub.2.sup.+

(69) In all cases, a zone may be subdivided into a series of separately controlled and fed tanks to match the various growth rates, life spans, product harvesting, nutrient feeding and waste disposal requirements needed to maintain maximum biomass output.

(70) After harvesting directly salable products from each section, where possible, the balance of the system output will be gaseous, liquid and solid. The gaseous component is biogas, a combination of methane and carbon dioxide. It also may include trace amounts of hydrogen sulfide which is recirculated to become sulfates elsewhere in the system.

(71) This components of biogas are either separated, being recirculated or sold, or are converted to syngas, which can be made into a wide range of commercial products such as Fischer-Tropsch Liquids (FTL), alcohols and hydrogen. Modular subsystems, sized to match the output of the biocolumn system, are used to provide some, or all, of the biocolumn process heat requirement.

(72) The liquid portion of the output consists of the various directly harvested products, i.e., oily species, biofilms, polysaccharides and water. The majority of the water comes from the concentration of the indigestible solids that are subsequently hydrothermally liquefied into synthetic crude oil. In an embodiment of the invention gasifiers are used to promote gasification.

(73) FIG. 3 shows interconnections and transport of products and inputs in various zones of biocolumn of present invention. Photons (1), air or oxygen (2), carbon dioxide (3), carbon and/or compounds (4), nitrogen and/or compounds (5), waste heat (6), biomass (7) and sulfur and or sulfur compounds (8) are inputs for various zones. Photons (1), air or oxygen (2) and carbon dioxide (3) are directly input into Aerobic Zone. Carbon and/or Carbon compounds (4) can be input into any of the Aerobic zone, Microaerophilic zone, Redox microtransition zone or Reducing zone. Nitrogen and/or compounds of nitrogen (5) can be input into Aerobic zone and Microaerophilic zone. Waste heat produced from various zones (6) can be input into Aerobic zone and Microaerophilic zone, oxidation zone, Microtransition Zone and Reducing zone. Biomass (7) is a by-product of aerobic zone, and can be input into microaerophilic zone. Biomass (7) can be directly introduced into microtransition zone or reducing zone. Sulfur and or sulfur compounds (8) can be input into Microaerophilic zone. Raw biogas (9) and upgraded biogas obtained from various zones can be further sent for gas separation zone. Liquid products (10) and Biofilms (11) obtained from each zone can be directly commercialized to customers. Hydrocarbons (12) produced from various zones can be transferred to syngas generator. Syngas (14) generated from syngas generator can be further sent for methanol (24) synthesis, FTL (19) to (23) synthesis or DME (18) synthesis. Methane (15) obtained from gas separation unit can be further converted into CNG (16) or LNG (17) before commercialization. Methanol can be directed to ECR for production of hydrogen (25). Solid residue (24) obtained from reducing zone can be sent for hydrothermal liquefaction to obtain synthetic oil (27) for commercialization.

(74) It is to be noticed that waste heat (6) is also recirculated to make the biocolumn in a more efficient and environment friendly manner.

(75) FIGS. 4 and 5 show a plan and cross section of a typical large tank (80 diameter) made up of six prefabricated sections per ring, stacked twelve units high. The rings are assembled on a footing poured over preassembled rebar cages delivered to the site. Each ring can climb up the side of the ring(s) below and slide into place. This means that the entire tank has 72 vertical welds 86 long and 144 horizontal welds of just under 49 long. With the precise registration provided by the ISO frames, simple robots are able to easily perform this function with precision and reliability. Each level represents an 86 high module based on the standard ISO shipping container specification. These modules fit together so the entire assembly creates a single tank that would be one zone of the biocolumn. This way each single module can replace about 12 to 18 individual bolt together pieces. This unit could be assembled in a day instead of weeks.

(76) FIG. 6 shows a top and side view of a typical module used in the tank described above. This approach reduces part count, leak paths, assembly time, site labor and cost. The external form provides mounting for peripheral equipment and the entire assembly is covered in a fabric sleeve, with the dead air between the tank wall and sleeve providing sufficient insulation to maintain temperature in all weather conditions. The space between the curved inner wall and the straight outer walls is dead air space. Each inch has an insulating value of R=1. Pumps, wiring pipes etc. are mounted in these spaces with vertical access at the ends, which is covered with the overall fabric cover. This eliminates the need for onsite application of insulation and most of the labor for attaching all of the other external pieces. FIG. 6 shows a plan and section of one of the six units that would make up one level of FIG. 5. These can be factory built and shipped and handled with standard equipment.

(77) FIG. 7 depicts a plan view and two cross sections of a horizontal tank made up of three prefabricated modules. When 15 of these assemblies are put together into a single plug-flow reactor, there is a screw feed at the input and output ends. An impeller can be used that slowly stirs and moves the material during its 15 day residence time.

(78) FIGS. 7 and 8 shows the flexibility of the type of design for building other types of vessels. FIG. 7 shows one section of a horizontal tank made up of three prefabricated modules while FIG. 8 shows a solid storage buffer with integrated feeders and distribution made up of nine modules. Wide array of other modules containing pumps, blower, heat exchangers controls, gasifiers and gas cleanup are not shown. The concept of instant invention is to develop a modularized biocolumn system which can be easily and conveniently assembled. The only site work while assembling the biocolumn includes grading, roads, fences, utilities and compacting of soil beneath the tanks. The entire system is prefabricated and factory tested for final assembly and commissioning on site.

(79) FIGS. 9 and 10 show methods of very large scale up with extremely low capital cost. Flexible tank walls are supported in a larger body of water to provide support with cables and anchors providing the shape need for the tanks. In FIG. 9 shows a waterborne array of biocolumn tanks (202) that can be submerged beneath the surface of an inlet, river, pond estuary, bay or any other natural or man-made body of water. Lightweight dome shaped platforms (201) moored just beneath the surface will use the weight of the water above to resist the upward pressure of any gas evolved. Flexible membranes will deploy along prepositioned cable structures as liquid is added. Tethers (203) are attached to the sea bed for keeping the entire structure stationary. In FIG. 10, the external water pressure is provided inside the hull (205) of a surplus oil tanker or other custom built floating structure. The structure comprises a bridge (204) for connecting and an engine room (206) is space for accommodating engine. These fabrication techniques offer opportunities for substantial reduction in capital cost and the elimination of the need for scarce and/or valuable land. As in the land based embodiment, all product removal can be external to the tanks.

(80) Although the invention has been described in detail for the purpose of illustration based on what is currently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that such detail is solely for that purpose and that the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments, but, on the contrary, is intended to cover modifications and equivalent arrangements that are within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. For example, it is to be understood that the present invention contemplates that, to the extent possible, one or more features of any embodiment can be combined with one or more features of any other embodiment.