In order to keep this dispatch brief enough so that it can be remain readable, given the technically-imposed space limitations, when it is posted on the West Virginia Coal Association's web site, we will be forced to abbreviate our excerpts from the many links we include in the extreme.
You will either be motivated enough by your concern for Coal Country's, for our entire nation's, security, and future economic and environmental well-being, to follow up and fully inform yourselves by exploring the links we include herein, or, you will not.
If you are so motivated, you will then either be motivated enough to make known to your Coal Country press corps and to your Coal Country elected leadership, respectively, what news it is you wish them to be publishing and what business it is you wish them to be busying themselves with on your behalf, or, you will not.
In brief sum:
Carbon Dioxide, as it is co-produced in only a small way - - relative to natural sources of emission, such as volcanoes, and relative to some other industrial processes, such as the manufacture of Ethanol from agricultural produce - - by our essential use of Coal in the generation of abundant and truly affordable electric power, is a valuable, maybe even a precious, raw material resource.
We can reclaim Carbon Dioxide either from the industrial activities which co-produce it or from the environment itself; and, then, using environmental sources of energy to drive the processes and, in some cases, naturally-occurring organisms to facilitate those processes, efficiently convert that Carbon Dioxide into, quite literally, any hydrocarbon fuel or chemical we now ransom our nation's security and prosperity, and our grandchildren's future independence and economic well-being, to the alien nations of OPEC and to the special economic interests of Big Oil to keep ourselves supplied with in the here and now.
The issue of CO2-based global warming may now be seen as no more than a ruse to keep us off-balance and to make us vulnerable to venal government revenue scrounging through Cap and Trade taxation.
We remind you of one recent report, now accessible via:
That report concerns a fairly recent conference, the "Society for Biological Engineering's Conference on Electrofuels Research; November 6-9, 2011", sponsored in part by an operating group within the United States Department of Energy; which conference centered on the development of what can be generically labeled as "Electrofuels".
In their most straightforward sense, "Electrofuels" could be represented by the products of a technology like that described in our report of:
West Virginia Coal Association | USDOE 1976 Atmospheric CO2 to Methanol | Research & Development; concerning: "United States Patent 3,959,094 - Electrolytic Synthesis of Methanol from CO2; 1976; Assignee: The USA as represented by the USDOE; Abstract: A method and system for synthesizing methanol from the CO2 in air using electric power. The CO2 is absorbed by a solution of KOH to form K2CO3 which is electrolyzed to produce methanol, a liquid hydrocarbon fuel".
More lately, though, the term "Electrofuels" has come to be applied to processes and products like that disclosed by "United States Patent 3,959,094 - Electrolytic Synthesis of Methanol from CO2", but, as mediated, facilitated and made much more efficient by certain types of microorganisms which, in a way similar to green plants which absorb light energy and utilize that light energy to power the metabolic transmutation of Carbon Dioxide and Water into various compounds made of Carbon and Hydrogen, consume electricity and use that electric potential to leverage the breaking apart of CO2 and H2O molecules, and the reforming of the Carbon and the Hydrogen into various hydrocarbons.
One example of such technology can be seen in our separate report of:
West Virginia Coal Association | US Gov Hires Penn State Bugs to Convert CO2 to Methane | Research & Development; concerning: "US Patent Application 20090317882 - Electromethanogenic Reactor and Process for Methane Production; 2009; Assignee: The Penn State Research Foundation; Abstract: Biological processes for producing methane gas and capturing carbon from carbon dioxide are provided according to embodiments of the present invention which include providing an electromethanogenic reactor having an anode, a cathode and a plurality of methanogenic microorganisms disposed on the cathode. Electrons and carbon dioxide are provided to the plurality of methanogenic microorganisms disposed on the cathode. The methanogenic microorganisms reduce the carbon dioxide to produce methane gas".
Herein, from yet another highly-respected institution of higher learning, we submit additional information pertaining to their report of, at the "Society for Biological Engineering's Conference on Electrofuels Research", of: "'Microbial Electrosynthesis: the Shortest Path from the Sun to Fuel'; Derek R. Lovley, Department of Microbiology, University of Massachusetts; Microbial electrosynthesis is the process in which microorganisms use electrons derived from electrodes to reduce carbon dioxide to multi-carbon compounds that are excreted from the cell. With microbial electrosynthesis it is feasible to efficiently produce transportation fuels or other desirable organic compounds from a variety of renewable sources of electricity".
The complete Abstract of their presentation, only partially reproduced in our report concerning the "Conference on Electrofuels" goes on to read:
"When electricity is derived from photovoltatics microbial electrosynthesis is an artificial form of photosynthesis in which solar energy drives the conversion of water and carbon dioxide to organic compounds with oxygen as a byproduct. However, microbial electrosynthesis can be much more effective than processes that rely on biological photosystems because photovoltaics are much more efficient in harvesting solar energy and the microorganisms consuming this energy direct over 90% of the electrons received to desired products, which are respiratory end products that are released directly from the cell into the extracellular medium. The microorganisms catalyzing electrosynthesis grow as a biofilm on the electrode surface, simplifying product separation, reducing the generation of wastes, and allowing for continuous production. This contrasts with the batch processes typical of many biofuel strategies. Proof of concept studies for microbial electrosynthesis have focused on the production of acetate, as a feedstock for the production of other chemicals, and on the direct production of the transportation fuel butanol. A diversity of acetogenic bacteria, that have proton-dependent ATP synthases were found to be capable of accepting electrons from negatively poised electrodes as the sole electron donor for the reduction of carbon dioxide. The acetogen, Acetobacterium woodii, which has a sodium driven ATP synthase, was not capable of electrosynthesis. Wild-type strains of acetogens that are effective in electrosynthesis produce acetate as
the primary product with columbic efficiencies of ca. 90% and energetic efficiencies of (around) 70%.
the primary product with columbic efficiencies of ca. 90% and energetic efficiencies of (around) 70%.
Acetyl-CoA, the central intermediate in the Wood-Ljungdahl pathway of carbon dioxide reduction, can serve as the building block for a wide diversity of microbial products. A metabolically engineered strain of Clostridium ljungdahalii produced butanol from carbon dioxide via microbial electrosynthesis. Studies are underway to improve the expression of the enzymes involved in synthesizing butanol from acetyl-CoA in order to increase the rates of butanol production. Production of a diversity of other organic commodities from carbon dioxide and electricity are feasible. Strategies to promote electrode-microbe electron exchange, based on the recent discovery of metallic-like conductivity along the length of Geobacter pili and through Geobacter biofilms, are underway. A scalable reactor design is under evaluation".
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Well, as it happens, the University of Massachusetts' "scalable reactor design" for employing "microorganisms (that) use electrons derived from electrodes to reduce carbon dioxide to multi-carbon compounds" has quite recently been shown to be beyond the "evaluation" stage, as evidenced by excerpts from the initial link in this dispatch to:
"United States Patent Application 20120288898 - Microbial Production of Multi-Carbon Chemicals and Fuels from Water and Carbon Dioxide Using Electric Current
Date: November 15, 2012
Inventors: Derek Lovley and Kelly Nevin, MA
(Derek Lovley | Microbiology Department at UMass Amherst; "Distinguished University Professor; University of Massachusetts - Amherst";
Kelly Nevin | Microbiology Department at UMass Amherst; "Ph.D.; Department of Microbiology; University of Massachusetts - Amhersy".
There is little doubt the University of Massachusetts will be the Assignee of Rights, when and if a United States Patent issues from this Application. And, interestingly, UMass-Amherst, and others, maintain a separate web site(s) presenting the work of Distinguished Professor Lovley, and colleagues:
Geobacter.org | Geobacter.org; "'The Geobacter Project'; Studies published in Nature Nanotechnology have revealed for the first time biologically produced protein filaments that can conduct electrons along their length with metallic-like conductivity. Networks of the filaments permit Geobacter to produce films that are highly conductive and can transfer electron over cm distances. These findings explain novel environmental properties of Geobacter, such as it ability to grow on iron minerals in soils and sediments where it plays an important role in removing contaminants from groundwater. The metallic-like wires are key to bioenergy applications of Geobacter, such as the conversion of wastes and biomass to methane and generating electricity from wastes in microbial fuel cells. Furthermore, the production of a tunable conductive material, that can be grown from inexpensive materials like acetic acid, and functions in aqueous environments, opens new possibilities for the generation of environmentally-sustainable nanomaterials and nanoelectronic devices.Microbial Electrosynthesis: This is a process for converting the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide to transportation fuels and other useful organic products. When driven with solar technology microbial electrosynthesis is an artificial form of photosynthesis that offers the possibility of converting sunlight and carbon dioxide to desirable organic compounds much more efficiently and more sustainably than biomass-based processes"; and:
Microbial Electrosynthesis | Electrofuels.org; Microbial Electrosynthesis (ME) Technology: Wiring Microbes to the Sun for Chemical and Fuel Production; Microbial electrosynthesis (ME) technology represents a new form of photosynthesis that uses renewable solar energy to convert carbon dioxide emissions to fuels and other useful products. Like plant photosynthesis, carbon dioxide and water are combined to produce organic compounds with the release of oxygen. ME Technology is much more efficient than biomass-based energy strategies. ME technology produces organic products directly. The ME technology does not require cultivatable land and avoids environmental degradation, such as pollution of water resources, associated with intensive agricultural processes. Water utilization is a tiny fraction of that required for growing biomass. ME technology can convert the electrical energy into chemical energy in the form of fuels and chemicals. Fuels and chemicals are easily stored and can be distributed through existing infrastructure on an as needed basis. ME technology is based on the discovery made at the University of Massachusetts that some microorganisms can feed on electricity. The microorganisms live on the surface of electrodes, consuming the electrons released from the electrode as their energy source. The microorganisms use carbon dioxide in the same way that humans use oxygen. The microorganisms “breathe in” in the carbon dioxide and convert it to organic compounds that the microorganisms then “breathe out”. Anything that microbes are capable or producing. Acetic acid is the simplest example of a ME product, but other products, such as the transportation fuel butanol, have also already been produced. Other short-term product targets include the compounds such butanediol, a feedstock for plastics production. Any source of electrical power can be employed (such as) electricity generated from wind and geothermal energy".)
Abstract: The invention provides systems and methods for generating organic compounds using carbon dioxide as a source of carbon and electrical current as an energy source. In one embodiment, a reaction cell is provided having a cathode electrode and an anode electrode that are connected to a source of electrical power, and which are separated by a permeable membrane. A biological film is provided on the cathode. The biological film comprises a bacterium that can accept electrons and that can convert carbon dioxide to a carbon-bearing compound and water in a cathode half-reaction. At the anode, water is decomposed to free molecular oxygen and solvated protons in an anode half-reaction. The half-reactions are driven by the application of electrical current from an external source. Compounds that have been produced include acetate, butanol, 2-oxobutyrate, proponal, ethanol, and formate.
(Concerning the extremely valuable "butanol", which has enough energy density and other chemical and mechanical characteristics which enable it, unlike Methanol or Ethanol, to serve as an almost one-to-one, direct substitute for Gasoline, see our report of:
West Virginia Coal Association | Algae Recycle More CO2 and Produce Butanol | Research & Development; concerning: "United States Patent Application 20110177571 - Designer Calvin-Cycle-Channeled Production of Butanol; 2011; Inventor: James Weifu Lee; (Johns Hopkins University/USDOE); Abstract: Designer Calvin-cycle-channeled and photosynthetic ... pathways, the associated designer genes and designer transgenic photosynthetic organisms for photobiological production of butanol and related higher alcohols from carbon dioxide and water are provided".
And, as a non-Carbon consuming/non-CO2 emitting source of supplemental electricity, consider:
"Hydropower: A Small but Growing Presence in W.Va. Electric Grid; West Virginia State Journal; 2011".
We do have options available to us in Coal Country, to combine our substantial environmental energy resources with our vast reserves of Coal to produce both Coal-based electricity in the truly significant amounts required for export into the grid and a little extra supplemental juice to feed CO2-recycling bugs specified by the process of our subject, "United States Patent Application 20120288898 - Microbial Production of Multi-Carbon Chemicals and Fuels from Water and Carbon Dioxide Using Electric Current", who will in turn produce some liquid hydrocarbon fuels for us to export into the national liquid fuel infrastructure. As detailed and documented in our above-cited report, "Algae Recycle More CO2 and Produce Butanol"; the Butanol product of our subject is compatible with existing gasoline distribution equipment and gasoline-burning internal combustion engines.)
Government Interests: The U.S. Government has certain rights in this invention pursuant to Cooperative Agreement DE-FCO2-02ER63446 awarded by the Office of Science (BER), U.S Department of Energy, and Agreement No. DE-AR0000087 awarded by ARPA-E.
Claims: An apparatus for generating a carbonaceous chemical wherein carbon dioxide is a source of carbon, comprising: a reaction vessel having an anode electrode and a cathode electrode disposed therein, said anode electrode having at least one surface and an anode electrical contact terminal, said cathode electrode having at least one surface and a cathode electrical contact terminal, said cathode electrode having a film of biologically active material adjacent said at least one surface of said cathode electrode and in electrical communication therewith, said reaction vessel configured to contain a working fluid having mobile ions therein; a reaction medium in contact with said cathode electrode and said anode electrode, said reaction medium configured to contain carbon dioxide as a source of carbon and to contain a substance configured to be oxidized; a source of electrical energy, said source of electrical energy electrically connected to said cathode electrical contact terminal and to said anode electrical contact terminal; and a source of carbon dioxide configured to provide carbon dioxide to said film of biologically active material adjacent said at least one surface of said cathode electrode by way of said reaction medium.
The apparatus for generating a carbonaceous chemical wherein carbon dioxide is a source of carbon (and)wherein said reaction vessel has a first chamber and a second chamber, said first chamber and said second chamber each configured to contain a working fluid having mobile ions therein, said first chamber and said second chamber separated by a membrane permeable to at least a selected ionic species, said anode electrode disposed in one of said first chamber and said second chamber and said cathode electrode disposed in the other of said first chamber and said second chamber (and) wherein said film of biologically active material comprises an organism that is able to generate a carbonaceous chemical having at least two carbon atoms using carbon dioxide as a source of carbon (and) wherein said carbonaceous chemical comprises carbon, hydrogen and oxygen (with) at least two carbon atoms.
The apparatus ... further comprising: a control module configured to control a selected one of an electrical potential applied between said cathode electrode and said anode electrode, and an electrical current caused to flow between said cathode electrode and said anode electrode (and) further comprising: a third electrode having a third electrical contact terminal in electrical communication with said control module, said third electrode configured to provide a reference potential relative to a selected one of said cathode electrode and said anode electrode.
The apparatus for generating a carbonaceous chemical wherein carbon dioxide is a source of carbon (and) wherein said source of electrical energy is a renewable energy source (such as) a solar cell, solar thermal energy, wind energy, geothermal energy, hydroelectricity, and a biomass-fired electrical generator.
The apparatus for generating a carbonaceous chemical wherein carbon dioxide is a source of carbon (and)wherein said source of carbon dioxide is selected from the group consisting of carbon dioxide in an effluent from a combustion process of coal, ... , an industrial process that releases carbon dioxide, carbon dioxide from geothermal sources, atmospheric CO2, CO2 from dry ice, CO2 from carbonate minerals, CO2 from carbonic acid (H2CO3), and CO2 sequestered from the atmosphere.
The apparatus for generating a carbonaceous chemical wherein carbon dioxide is a source of carbon (and)wherein said reaction vessel has a first chamber and a second chamber, said first chamber and said second chamber each configured to contain a working fluid having mobile ions therein, said first chamber and said second chamber separated by a membrane permeable to at least a selected ionic species, said anode electrode disposed in one of said first chamber and said second chamber and said cathode electrode disposed in the other of said first chamber and said second chamber (and) wherein said film of biologically active material comprises an organism that is able to generate a carbonaceous chemical having at least two carbon atoms using carbon dioxide as a source of carbon (and) wherein said carbonaceous chemical comprises carbon, hydrogen and oxygen (with) at least two carbon atoms.
The apparatus ... further comprising: a control module configured to control a selected one of an electrical potential applied between said cathode electrode and said anode electrode, and an electrical current caused to flow between said cathode electrode and said anode electrode (and) further comprising: a third electrode having a third electrical contact terminal in electrical communication with said control module, said third electrode configured to provide a reference potential relative to a selected one of said cathode electrode and said anode electrode.
The apparatus for generating a carbonaceous chemical wherein carbon dioxide is a source of carbon (and) wherein said source of electrical energy is a renewable energy source (such as) a solar cell, solar thermal energy, wind energy, geothermal energy, hydroelectricity, and a biomass-fired electrical generator.
The apparatus for generating a carbonaceous chemical wherein carbon dioxide is a source of carbon (and)wherein said source of carbon dioxide is selected from the group consisting of carbon dioxide in an effluent from a combustion process of coal, ... , an industrial process that releases carbon dioxide, carbon dioxide from geothermal sources, atmospheric CO2, CO2 from dry ice, CO2 from carbonate minerals, CO2 from carbonic acid (H2CO3), and CO2 sequestered from the atmosphere.
(Note that all of the other sources of CO2, i.e., "dry ice" and "carbonate minerals, CO2 from carbonic acid (H2CO3)", figure into various schemes for CO2 capture, some of which we haven't yet documented for you. However, keep in mind, that, if we would prefer to set this up somewhere like Spruce Knob, where we have plenty of wind to generate electricity to drive the process, then, as seen for one example in our report of:
West Virginia Coal Association | Efficient September, 2012, CO2 Air Capture | Research & Development; concerning: "United States Patent 8,273,160 - Method and Apparatus for Extracting Carbon Dioxide from Air; September 25, 2012; Assignee: Kilimanjaro Energy, Inc., San Francisco, CA; Abstract: A method and apparatus for extracting CO2 from air";
we should as well be able to synergistically obtain some "CO2 sequestered from the atmosphere".)
The apparatus for generating a carbonaceous chemical ... further comprising a source of ionic hydrogen and a source of ionic oxygen (and) wherein said source of ionic hydrogen and said source of ionic oxygen is water (and) wherein at least one of said cathode electrode and said anode electrode comprises a material selected from the group consisting of carbon paper, carbon cloth, carbon felt, carbon wool, carbon foam, graphite, porous graphite, graphite powder, graphene, carbon nanotubes, electrospun carbon fibers, a conductive polymer, platinum, palladium, titanium, gold, silver, nickel, copper, tin, iron, cobalt, tungsten, stainless steel, and combinations thereof.
(Nothing too expensive seems to be needed, in other words.)
The method of generating a carbonaceous chemical wherein carbon dioxide is a source of carbon ... wherein a net chemical reaction that occurs is described by the equation 4CO2 + 5H2O = Butanol ... .
The method of generating a carbonaceous chemical wherein carbon dioxide is a source of carbon ... wherein a net chemical reaction that occurs is described by the equation 4CO2 + 5H2O = Butanol ... .
The method of producing a carbonaceous chemical wherein carbon dioxide is a source of carbon ... wherein said biofilm comprises a bacterium of the genus Geobacter (and/or others as specified).
The method of producing a carbonaceous chemical wherein carbon dioxide is a source of carbon (and) wherein said biofilm comprises a microorganism derived from a source selected from the group consisting of contaminated water, soil, waste streams, and sewage sludge.
The method of producing a carbonaceous chemical wherein carbon dioxide is a source of carbon (and)wherein said source of carbon dioxide is selected from the group consisting of carbon dioxide in an effluent from a combustion process of coal, petroleum, methane, natural gas, biomass, organic carbon, an industrial process that releases carbon dioxide, carbon dioxide from geothermal sources, atmospheric CO2, CO2 from dry ice, CO2 from carbonate minerals, CO2 from carbonic acid (H2CO3), and CO2 sequestered from the atmosphere.
The method of producing a carbonaceous chemical wherein carbon dioxide is a source of carbon (and) wherein said biofilm comprises a microorganism derived from a source selected from the group consisting of contaminated water, soil, waste streams, and sewage sludge.
The method of producing a carbonaceous chemical wherein carbon dioxide is a source of carbon (and)wherein said source of carbon dioxide is selected from the group consisting of carbon dioxide in an effluent from a combustion process of coal, petroleum, methane, natural gas, biomass, organic carbon, an industrial process that releases carbon dioxide, carbon dioxide from geothermal sources, atmospheric CO2, CO2 from dry ice, CO2 from carbonate minerals, CO2 from carbonic acid (H2CO3), and CO2 sequestered from the atmosphere.
Background and Field: The invention relates to chemical reactions in general and particularly to systems and methods that employ biological systems that allow the generation of carbon-bearing compounds using carbon dioxide as a source under an electrical stimulus.
Certain microorganisms have been shown to interact electrochemically with electrodes without requiring molecules that shuttle electrons between the electrodes and the microorganisms
Certain microorganisms have been shown to interact electrochemically with electrodes without requiring molecules that shuttle electrons between the electrodes and the microorganisms
In a paper by Shaoan Cheng, Defeng Xing, Douglas F. Call, and Bruce E. Logan, entitled "Direct Biological Conversion of Electrical Current into Methane by Electromethanogenesis" ... the authors stated that "we demonstrate that methane can directly be produced using a biocathode containing methanogens in electrochemical systems (abiotic anode) or microbial electrolysis cells ... by a process called electromethanogenesis. . . .
(The above "Shaoan Cheng, Defeng Xing, Douglas F. Call, and Bruce E. Logan" are among the named inventors, as in our introductory citation of our earlier report concerning it, of "US Patent Application 20090317882 - Electromethanogenic Reactor and Process for Methane Production; 2009; Assignee: The Penn State Research Foundation".)
Summary: According to one aspect, the invention features an apparatus for generating a carbonaceous chemical wherein carbon dioxide is a source of carbon. The apparatus comprises a reaction vessel having an anode electrode and a cathode electrode disposed therein, the anode electrode having at least one surface and an anode electrical contact terminal, the cathode electrode having at least one surface and a cathode electrical contact terminal, the cathode electrode having a film of biologically active material adjacent to at least one surface of the cathode electrode and in electrical communication therewith, the reaction vessel configured to contain a working fluid having mobile ions therein; a reaction medium in contact with the cathode electrode and the anode electrode, the reaction medium configured to contain carbon dioxide as a source of carbon and to contain a substance configured to be oxidized; a source of electrical energy, the source of electrical energy electrically connected to the cathode electrical contact terminal and to the anode electrical contact terminal; and a source of carbon dioxide configured to provide carbon dioxide to the film of biologically active material adjacent to at least one surface of the cathode electrode by way of the reaction medium.
In (one) embodiment, the film of biologically active material comprises an organism that is able to generate a carbonaceous chemical having at least two carbon atoms using carbon dioxide as a source of carbon.
In still a further embodiment, the source of electrical energy is a renewable energy source.
In yet another embodiment, the source of carbon dioxide is selected from the group consisting of carbon dioxide in an effluent from a combustion process of coal, ... and CO2 sequestered from the atmosphere.
In (one) embodiment, the apparatus further comprises a source of ionic hydrogen and a source of ionic oxygen (wherein) the source of ionic hydrogen and the source of ionic oxygen is water.
In (one) embodiment, the film of biologically active material comprises an organism that is able to generate a carbonaceous chemical having at least two carbon atoms using carbon dioxide as a source of carbon.
In still a further embodiment, the source of electrical energy is a renewable energy source.
In yet another embodiment, the source of carbon dioxide is selected from the group consisting of carbon dioxide in an effluent from a combustion process of coal, ... and CO2 sequestered from the atmosphere.
In (one) embodiment, the apparatus further comprises a source of ionic hydrogen and a source of ionic oxygen (wherein) the source of ionic hydrogen and the source of ionic oxygen is water.
In one embodiment, a net chemical reaction that occurs is described by the equation:
4CO2 + 5H2O = Butanol.
(Other net reactions can be structured; and, compounds) that have been produced include acetate, butanol, 2-oxobutyrate, proponal, ethanol, and formate.
We propose the term "microbial electrosynthesis" for the reduction of carbon dioxide to multicarbon compounds with electrons donated from an electrode as the electron donor. Microbial electrosynthesis differs significantly from photosynthesis in that carbon and electron flow is directed primarily to the formation of extracellular products, rather than biomass. Biomass typically requires extensive additional processing for chemical or fuel production. Coupling photovoltaic technology with microbial electrosynthesis represents a novel photosynthesis strategy that avoids many of the drawbacks of biomass-based strategies for the production of transportation fuels and other organic chemicals. The mechanisms for direct electron transfer from electrodes to microorganisms warrant further investigation in order to optimize envisioned applications.
Engineered microbial processes, such as the production of fuels and other chemicals as well as bioremediation, have traditionally relied on biomass-based organic feedstocks as the electron donor. Potential advantages of microbial electrosynthesis over biomass-based strategies for the production of fuels and chemicals include: the 100-fold higher efficiency of photovolatics in harvesting solar energy; eliminating the need for arable land; avoiding the environmental degradation (such as introduction of excess nutrients and other pollutants) associated with intensive agriculture; and the direct production of desired products. Like photovolatics, other major renewable forms of energy such as wind, hydro and geothermal can also produce electricity. Therefore, the possibility of powering beneficial microbial processes with electricity is becoming increasingly attractive. As detailed below, this may be most effectively accomplished by providing microorganisms with electrons via direct electron transfer from electrodes, coupled to the microbial reduction of various electron acceptors.
Microorganisms capable of directly accepting electrons from electrodes have been referred to colloquially as electrode-oxidizing bacteria, just as microorganisms are referred to iron-oxidizing, sulfur-oxidizing or methane-oxidizing microbes. A more formal designation may be electrotrophs in accordance with the standard parlance of chemotrophs that oxidize chemical compounds in their environments (organotrophs oxidize organic compounds; lithotrophs oxidize inorganics) and phototrophs.
In some preferred embodiments, the present invention provides a system to produce multi-carbon organic compounds from carbon dioxide and water. The system includes an electrical power supply, an anodic electrode capable of extracting electrons from water, a cathodic electrode, and a microorganism that can use electrons derived from the cathodic electrode to fix carbon dioxide into organic compounds. In one embodiment, carbon dioxide is fixed to produce acetate. Other organic products that have been documented to be produced include: 2-oxobutyric acid, ethanol, proponal, butanol, and formate.
We propose the term "microbial electrosynthesis" for the reduction of carbon dioxide to multicarbon compounds with electrons donated from an electrode as the electron donor. Microbial electrosynthesis differs significantly from photosynthesis in that carbon and electron flow is directed primarily to the formation of extracellular products, rather than biomass. Biomass typically requires extensive additional processing for chemical or fuel production. Coupling photovoltaic technology with microbial electrosynthesis represents a novel photosynthesis strategy that avoids many of the drawbacks of biomass-based strategies for the production of transportation fuels and other organic chemicals. The mechanisms for direct electron transfer from electrodes to microorganisms warrant further investigation in order to optimize envisioned applications.
Engineered microbial processes, such as the production of fuels and other chemicals as well as bioremediation, have traditionally relied on biomass-based organic feedstocks as the electron donor. Potential advantages of microbial electrosynthesis over biomass-based strategies for the production of fuels and chemicals include: the 100-fold higher efficiency of photovolatics in harvesting solar energy; eliminating the need for arable land; avoiding the environmental degradation (such as introduction of excess nutrients and other pollutants) associated with intensive agriculture; and the direct production of desired products. Like photovolatics, other major renewable forms of energy such as wind, hydro and geothermal can also produce electricity. Therefore, the possibility of powering beneficial microbial processes with electricity is becoming increasingly attractive. As detailed below, this may be most effectively accomplished by providing microorganisms with electrons via direct electron transfer from electrodes, coupled to the microbial reduction of various electron acceptors.
Microorganisms capable of directly accepting electrons from electrodes have been referred to colloquially as electrode-oxidizing bacteria, just as microorganisms are referred to iron-oxidizing, sulfur-oxidizing or methane-oxidizing microbes. A more formal designation may be electrotrophs in accordance with the standard parlance of chemotrophs that oxidize chemical compounds in their environments (organotrophs oxidize organic compounds; lithotrophs oxidize inorganics) and phototrophs.
In some preferred embodiments, the present invention provides a system to produce multi-carbon organic compounds from carbon dioxide and water. The system includes an electrical power supply, an anodic electrode capable of extracting electrons from water, a cathodic electrode, and a microorganism that can use electrons derived from the cathodic electrode to fix carbon dioxide into organic compounds. In one embodiment, carbon dioxide is fixed to produce acetate. Other organic products that have been documented to be produced include: 2-oxobutyric acid, ethanol, proponal, butanol, and formate.
In general, any convenient source of CO2 can be used.
Microbial electrosynthesis offers the possibility of greatly increasing the value of electrical energy that can be harvested with renewable energy strategies such as solar and wind because it is feasible to a produce a wide range of valuable chemical products that would otherwise need to be synthesized from petroleum or biomass. The production of liquid transportation fuels with microbial electrosynthesis is particularly attractive. This is because electricity generation with renewable technologies is not continuous or always synched with demand and it is difficult to store electricity. Large-scale fuel production could readily convert electrical energy into covalent carbon bonds permitting storage and delivery upon demand within existing infrastructure."
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In sum: We can harvest Carbon Dioxide from "any convenient source", feed that CO2 with a little Water and a little supplemental, environmentally-derived electricity to some pretty well-known bugs; and, thereby make, on a large scale, "liquid transportation fuels" which are of such a nature that they enable "storage and delivery upon demand within existing infrastructure".
Tell you what: If you would actually prefer to pay, through higher electric bills, Cap and Trade taxes; and, if you would prefer to subsidize, through your gasoline purchases, the lavish lifestyles of Arabian sheiks; and, if you would prefer to wave bye-bye to your children, as they go off to fight in another Persian Gulf war; then:
Don't bother to get up off your dead cans to do one single thing. Continuance of the status quo, we assure you, will all be thoroughly seen to by the proactive guys wearing cowboy hats and turbans; the politicians who would prefer to deal with, well, politics; and, the news people who would, it seems, prefer to practice becoming better apologists for shale gas, despite the now flaming inconsistencies in their lines of reasoning about what is, in terms of total recoverable Btu content, relative to Coal, a minor-league energy resource.
But, hey! It's Christmas!
In keeping with the holiday spirit of giving, and especially if you yourself would prefer a secure United States of America; a genuinely independent America who can offer her current and future citizens a comfortable prosperity and an improving environment, share the good news!
Take just a few moments to compose email Christmas Greetings for all of your local United States Congresspersons and your local US Senators; and, especially for all of your local Coal Country newspaper editors.
Let them know the glad tidings: Both Coal and Carbon Dioxide can be efficiently converted into liquid hydrocarbon fuels; and, we no longer have to fight in OPEC wars, nor do we have to burden ourselves with Cap and Trade taxes!
Tell them where you saw it so that they can check it our for themselves; and, let them know you're anxious to learn what their positive public responses will be; that you're eager to become a part of the United States Coal Country-led march to United States of America energy independence, especially in terms of liquid hydrocarbon fuels; and, that you're eager to share in the prosperity such independence would bring to us all.