Conversion of carbon dioxide utilizing chemoautotrophic microorganisms systems and methods
AssigneeThe University of Wyoming Research Corporation
InventorsKaren E. Wawrousek, Patrick Richards, Tengyan Zhang, Alan E. Bland
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Abstract
Methods and systems to achieve clean fuel processing systems in which carbon dioxide emissions (1) from sources (2) may be processed in at least one processing reactor (4) containing a plurality of chemoautotrophic bacteria (5) which can convert the carbon dioxide emissions into biomass (6) which may then be used for various products (21) such as biofuels, fertilizer, feedstock, or the like. Bacteria that reduce oxidized nitrogenous species (13) may be used to supply reduced nitrogenous compounds to the chemoautotrophic bacteria (5).
Claims11
A method of biologically reducing carbon dioxide pollutants comprising the steps of:
- containing at least some carbon dioxide emissions from a carbon dioxide emitter;
- introducing at least some carbon dioxide emissions from said carbon dioxide emitter into at least one processing reactor;
- chemoautotrophically digesting carbon dioxide of said at least some carbon dioxide emissions with a plurality of chemoautotrophic bacteria in said at least one processing reactor;
- providing a nitrogenous compound energy supply to said plurality of chemoautotrophic bacteria in said at least one processing reactor;
- biologically producing at least some biomass from said chemoautotrophic digestion of said carbon dioxide with said chemoautotrophic bacteria;
- providing a plurality of nitrate reducing bacteria in at least one additional processing reactor;
- generating nitrite in said at least one additional processing reactor containing said plurality of nitrate reducing bacteria;
- supplying said nitrite from said at least one additional processing reactor containing said plurality of nitrate reducing bacteria to said at least one processing reactor with said plurality of chemoautotrophic bacteria;
- providing an acetate conversion reactor;
- feeding acetate generated from said nitrate reducing bacteria into said acetate conversion reactor;
- generating biomass from said acetate conversion reactor;
- and
- ecologically reducing atmospheric release of said carbon dioxide emitted from said carbon dioxide emitter.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.