Since our most recent post, as accessible via:
concerns the:
"12th International Conference on Carbon Dioxide Utilization, ICCDU XII, June 23-27, 2013; Alexandria, VA, USA";
as hosted by The Pennsylvania State University, and as co-chaired by Penn State's award-winning professor, Dr. Chunshan Song; and, since we reminded you in that report of Dr. Song's long advocacy of the "Tri-reforming Process", as a practical means of recycling Carbon Dioxide from Coal-fired power generation plants in the synthesis of hydrocarbons, via reference to one of our prior reports concerning:
"'Tri-reforming A New Process Concept for Effective Conversion and Utilization of CO2 in Flue Gas from Electric Power Plants'; Chunshan Song; Pennsylvania State University; (It) is highly desirable to develop novel ways to use CO2 in flue gases without separation (and) it would be highly desirable if the flue gas mixture can be used for CO2, conversion but without pre-separation of CO2. Based on our research. there appears lo be a unique advantage of directly using flue gases, rather than pre-separated and purified CO2 from flue gases, for the proposed tri-reforming process. In the proposed tri-reforming process ... H2O and O2 along with CO2 in the waste flue gas from fossil-fuel-based power plants will be utilized for tri-reforming of natural gas for the production of synthesis gas. The tri-reforming ... is a synergetic combination of endothermic CO2 reforming and steam reforming and exothermic partial oxidation of methane. The tri-reforming is an innovative approach to CO2 conversion using flue gases for syngas production. Coupling CO2 reforming and steam reforming can give syngas with desired (gas) ratios for methanol (MeOH) and Fischer-Tropsch (F-T) synthesis (and) the tri-reforming is the key step in the recently proposed CO2-based Tri-generation of fuels, chemicals, and electricity";
wherein Carbon Dioxide is converted into a hydrocarbon synthesis gas through "reforming" reactions with H2O, Oxygen and Methane, we document for you herein that our United States Government just recently confirmed the fact that The Pennsylvania State University also has the technology in hand to synthesize the Methane, needed to convert CO2 into a hydrocarbon synthesis gas, suitable for the "Tri-generation of fuels, chemicals, and electricity", from Carbon Dioxide.
First, we remind you of one of our earlier dispatches, from April of 2012:
in which we made report to you of:
"United States Patent Application 20090317882 - Electromethanogenic Reactor and Process for Methane Production; 2009; Inventors: Shaoan Cheng and Bruce Logan, PA; Assignee: The Penn State Research Foundation; 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, even in the absence of hydrogen and/or organic carbon sources. Government Interests: This invention was made with government support under Contract Nos. BES-0401885 and CBET-0730359 awarded by the National Science Foundation. The government has certain rights in the invention".And, we also remind you that "methanogenic microorganisms" able to chemically "reduce ... carbon dioxide to produce methane gas" are well-known to scientists, as seen, for example, in our reports of:
West Virginia Coal Association | California Bugs Convert More CO2 into Methane | Research & Development; concerning: "United States Patent 7,807,427 - Methods and Compositions for Production of Methane Gas; 2010; Assignee: The Regents of the University of California; Abstract: The present invention provides methods and compositions for sustained methane production from atmospheric CO2 and solar energy from the sun. In general the methods involve culturing cyanobacteria in a first culture vessel and collecting and diverting the photosynthesis products, including glucose or acetic acid, to a second culture vessel including methanogenic bacteria. The photosynthesis products are then used as nutrients by the methanogenic bacteria in the second culture vessel in the production of methane"; and:
West Virginia Coal Association | Chicago Bugs Convert CO2 into Methane | Research & Development; concerning: "United States Patent Application 20090130734 - The Production of Methane from CO2; 2009; Inventor: Lauren Mets, Chicago; (Presumed eventual Assignee of Rights: the University of Chicago); Abstract: A method of converting CO2 gas produced during industrial processes comprising contacting methanogenic archaea with the CO2 gas under suitable conditions to produce methane".
More about them can be learned via more general references, as in:
Methanogenesis - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia; "Methanogenesis or biomethanation is the formation of methane by microbes known as methanogens"; and:
Methanogen - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia; "Methanogens are microorganisms that produce methane as a metabolic byproduct in anoxic conditions. Some methanogens ... use carbon dioxide (CO2) as a source of carbon, and hydrogen as a reducing agent. The reduction of carbon dioxide into methane in the presence of hydrogen can be expressed as follows: CO2 + 4 H2 = CH4 + 2 H2O".
In fact, as can be seen in:
Electromethanogenesis - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia; "Electromethanogenesis is a form of electrofuel production where methane is produced by direct biological conversion from electrical current and carbon dioxide. The reduction process is carried out in a microbial electrolysis cell. An 2009 article by Cheng and Logan reports that a current capture efficiency of 96% can be achieved using a 1.0 V current";
the high-efficiency, low-energy conversion of Carbon Dioxide into Methane by certain microorganisms, specifically that conversion upon which Shaoan Cheng and Bruce Logan at Penn State University based their invention, as disclosed in our report of: "US Patent Application 20090317882 - Electromethanogenic Reactor and Process for Methane Production", has become more broadly known; and, it's reality confirmed in general reference works.
More than that, the technical and practical reality of Cheng and Logan's biologically-mediated, low-energy process for converting Carbon Dioxide into Methane was just confirmed by our United States Government's own technical experts, through, as excerpted from the initial link in this dispatch, their issuance of:
"United States Patent 8,440,438 - Electromethanogenic Reactor and Processes for Methane Production
Patent US8440438 - Electromethanogenic reactor and processes for methane production - Google Patents
Date: May 14, 2013
Inventors: Shaoan Cheng and Bruce Logan, State College, PA
Assignee: The Penn State Research Foundation, University Park, PA
Abstract: Increasing competition for fossil fuels, and the need to avoid release (of) carbon dioxide from combustion of these fuels requires development of new and sustainable approaches for energy production and carbon capture. 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, even in the absence of hydrogen and/or organic carbon sources.
(As with "Electromethanogenesis", the concept of an "electromethanogenic reactor" is not unknown. See:
Bioelectrochemical reactor - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia; "Bioelectrochemical reactors are a type of bioreactor where bioelectrochemical processes can take place. They are used in bioelectrochemical syntheses, environmental remediation and electrochemical energy conversion. Examples of bioelectrochemical reactors include microbial electrolysis cells, microbial fuel cells and enzymatic biofuel cells (and) microbial electrosynthesis cells".)Government Interests: This invention was made with government support under Contract Nos. BES-0401885 and CBET-0730359 awarded by the National Science Foundation. The government has certain rights in the invention.
(Make note that our US Government, which hungers for Cap and Trade CO2 taxes, can in no way now justify them. Our US Government's Patent Office herein confirms that Carbon Dioxide can be efficiently converted into Methane in a process our US Government paid, with tax money collected from all of us, to have developed, and which our US Government, at least in part, now owns.)
Claims: A biological process for producing methane gas comprising: providing an electromethanogenic reactor having an anode, a cathode, and a plurality of methanogenic microorganisms disposed on the cathode, the plurality of methanogenic microorganisms comprising at least two phylotypes of methanogenic microorganisms of the Archaea domain; providing electrons to the plurality of methanogenic microorganisms disposed on the cathode, wherein no mediator of electron transfer is present in the electromethanogenic reactor; and providing carbon dioxide to the plurality of methanogenic microorganisms and substantially excluding hydrogen from the electromethanogenic reactor such that hydrogen gas does not contribute to methane production by the methanogenic microorganisms, whereby the methanogenic microorganisms reduce the carbon dioxide in the absence of hydrogen gas to produce methane gas.
(Note that elemental, molecular Hydrogen is not required. In an immense economy, the "methanogenic microorganisms" are capable of extracting the needed Hydrogen from Water, H2O. Further, Cheng and Logan make reference further on to the use of "exeoelectrogenic" bacteria, that is, bugs which are capable under certain circumstances of generating electric potential, as one source of voltage for supplying the "methanogenic microorganisms" with the needed electrons.)
The process ... wherein a power source is in electrical communication with the reactor to enhance a potential between the anode and the cathode (and) wherein electrons provided to the plurality of methanogenic microorganisms comprises electrons transferred to the anode by a plurality of exoelectrogenic bacteria.
The process ... wherein the power source is selected from the group consisting of: wind-generated power, solar power, a microbial fuel cell, a DC power source, an electrochemical cell, and a combination of two or more thereof (and) further comprising increasing methane gas production rate by adding an additional voltage to the cathode.
The process ... wherein the electromethanogenic reactor comprises an anode chamber and a cathode chamber (and) wherein no organic carbon source is added to the cathode chamber (and) wherein no hydrogen is added to the cathode chamber.
The process ... wherein metal catalysts are substantially excluded from the cathode.
Background and Field: The invention relates generally to methods and systems for fuel production, such as methane production. The invention relates generally to methods and systems for carbon capture.
Increasing competition for fossil fuels, and the need to avoid release of carbon dioxide from combustion of these fuels requires that we develop new and sustainable approaches for energy production. Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) provide a new method for renewable electricity production from the degradation of organic matter.
Microbial electrolysis cells (MECs) represent another technology that makes use of electrogenic bacteria for wastewater treatment. In an MEC hydrogen gas can be produced by a process called electrohydrogenesis. Hydrogen gas generation is not spontaneous, however, as the voltage produced by the anode using a substrate such as acetate ... is insufficient for that needed to evolve hydrogen gas the cathode ... .
By adding a small voltage of >0.2 V, however, MECs can produce hydrogen gas at very high energy efficiencies of 200-400 percent based on electrical energy alone, or 82 percent based on both electrical energy and heat of combustion energies for the substrate.
Despite promising developments, there is a continuing need for methods and systems for sustainable production of fuels and for carbon capture.
Biological processes for producing methane gas are provided according to embodiments of the present invention which include inserting an anode and a cathode into a methanogenic reactor where the reactor contains methanogenic microorganisms. The anode and the cathode are connected by an electron-conductive conduit. Voltage is applied to generate a potential between the anode and the cathode, increasing delivery of electrons to the methanogens and increasing the efficiency of methane production by the methanogenic reactor. Any power source can be used. For example, in particular embodiments, current produced by electrons transferred to the anode by a plurality of exoelectrogenic bacteria is used as a power source. Additional examples of power sources used include, without limitation, grid power, wind-generated power, solar power and biomass. Further examples of a power source suitable for use in an inventive system illustratively include a DC power source and an electrochemical cell such as a battery or capacitor. Combinations of two or more of these or other power sources can be used.
Electromethanogenic reactors are provided according to embodiments of the present invention which include an anode, a cathode and methanogenic microorganisms. In particular embodiments, the methanogenic microorganisms are disposed on the cathode and/or in a cathode chamber. In some embodiments, an electromethanogenic reactor of the present invention further includes exeoelectrogenic microorganisms. In particular embodiments, the exeoelectrogenic microorganisms are disposed on the anode and/or in an anode chamber.
In further embodiments, an electromethanogenic reactor according to the present invention includes a power source in electrical communication with the reactor to add a voltage to the cathode.
Optionally, a cathode included in an electromethanogenic reactor according to the present invention has a cathode wall generally enclosing and defining an interior space, the cathode wall having an internal surface adjacent the interior space and an opposed external surface, the cathode wall extending between a first end and a second end and wherein the methanogenic microorganisms are disposed in the interior space.
Methods and systems for carbon dioxide capture are provided by the present invention. The efficiency of carbon dioxide capture by electromethanogenesis is high compared to other methods, does not require the use of any metal catalysts, and it is easily accomplished using renewable energy sources (and) reduction of CO2 (can be as high as) 96 percent using a electromethanogenic method or system according to embodiments of the present invention.
(Methane) can theoretically be produced ... from carbon dioxide at a voltage of 0.169 V under (low pH conditions) The calculated approximate minimum voltage is -0.244 V under more biologically standard conditions of pH 7.
By the above calculation at pH=7, methane can be produced using CO2 with a lower energy input requirement than that needed for hydrogen production (using a specified high-efficiency process). Moreover, methane production here is achieved with the capture of carbon dioxide into methane as a part of this process."
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In other words, we can, using the process of our subject herein, The Pennsylvania State University's "United States Patent 8,440,438 - Electromethanogenic Reactor and Processes for Methane Production", start converting "96 percent" of the Carbon Dioxide we might recover from whatever handy source into Methane, by applying an electrical potential of less than one Volt.
As the full Disclosure notes, suitable power sources to drive the process would include excess "grid power", as well as wind-generated power (and) solar power.
Hydro power would, no doubt, work as well.
One thing we found missing from the discussion is the actual amount, expressed in Watts or Amps, of electricity that would be needed, relative to the amounts of Carbon Dioxide actually converted into Methane.
The conversion can be driven by a "pressure" of less than one Volt; and, that suggests, as Cheng and Logan do indicate in general terms within the full Disclosure, which does present a good deal of interesting discussion, that it doesn't take a large amount of electricity to operate the process for the production of meaningful amounts of Methane.
In sum, the methanogenic organisms, a suitable array of which Cheng and Logan do name and identify, leverage, as it were, through their metabolisms, a relatively small amount of electric energy into a relatively large amount of chemical work.
And, we remind you in closing, that, as seen for only one out of now many examples in:
West Virginia Coal Association | California Converts Even More CO2 into Methanol | Research & Development; concerning:
"US Patent Application 20120115965 - Conversion of CO2 to Methanol Using Bi-Reforming of Methane; 2012; Inventors: George Olah and G. K. Surya Prakash, California; Assignee: University of Southern California, Los Angeles; Abstract: The invention provides for a method of forming methanol by combining a mixture of methane, water and carbon dioxide under specific reaction conditions sufficient to form a mixture of hydrogen and carbon monoxide which are then reacted under conditions sufficient to form methanol";
once we have Methane, as synthesized so efficiently by the process of our subject herein, "United States Patent 8,440,438 - Electromethanogenic Reactor and Processes for Methane Production", from Carbon Dioxide, we can then react that CO2-based Methane with even more Carbon Dioxide, as recovered from whatever handy source, with the final product being a liquid fuel, such as "methanol".