Bio-recycling of carbon dioxide emitted from power plants - Patent application
Given the more secure nature of the United States Patent and Trademark Office files on patents applied for and pending, we have as yet been unable to learn more about the invention we herein report, wherein, as we have elsewhere documented to be feasible, Carbon Dioxide emitted from Coal-use facilities can be recycled with the assistance of biotechnology into valuable alcohols.
Without further preamble, we present highly-abbreviated excerpts from the enclosed link to:
"USPTO Patent Application 20090162914 - Bio-recycling of Carbon Dioxide Emitted from Power Plants
This application claims priority from U.S. provisional patent application 60/816,510, filed Jun. 26, 2006.
Inventors: John D. Offerman, Hugh McTavish
Origin: Birchwood, MN
Abstract: The invention provides a method to decrease emission of carbon dioxide from combustion of fossil fuels or other hydrocarbons and to enhance the efficiency of methane production from anaerobic biodigesters. The invention involves feeding carbon dioxide from the exhaust gas of hydrocarbon fuel combustion to an anaerobic biodigester where biomass is anaerobically fermented to produce methane. Carbon dioxide is an electron acceptor for anaerobic fermentation, and thus some of the carbon dioxide is reduced to methane, which can again be used for fuel. In this way, at least a portion of the exhaust gas CO2 is recycled to form fuel methane instead of being released into the atmosphere. Thus, the net CO2 emission from burning a given amount of fossil fuel is decreased. Adding carbon dioxide to an anaerobic fermentation also increases the efficiency and amount of methane production in the fermentation.
Claims: The method ... wherein the step of processing the methane-rich fraction for energy comprises: converting at least a portion of the methane-rich fraction to synthesis gas comprising CO and H2; and contacting the synthesis gas with a catalyst to produce alcohol.
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"Alcohol" which, we submit, based on our numerous other citations of authoritative sources, that, whether such "alcohol" is Methanol or Ethanol, can be further converted into Gasoline; or, into a variety of organic raw materials suitable for use in manufacturing certain types of plastics and other products of utility and commercial value.
