Horizontal array bioreactor for conversion of syngas components to liquid products

A membrane bioreactor for anaerobic conversion of gas into liquid products comprising:

• a plurality of membrane modules arranged in multiple stacks having a plurality of hollow fibers, each of the plurality of hollow fibers comprising an asymmetric membrane wall defining biopores on an outer layer of the hollow fiber for retaining a porous biolayer about an outer surface of a hollow fiber wall of the hollow fiber and a less permeable hydration layer around a hollow fiber lumen of the hollow fiber;
• a membrane vessel having an interior sealed from the ambient atmosphere for retaining the plurality of membrane modules surrounded by a process gas in communication about the outer surface of the hollow fiber wall for formation of the biolayer by interaction of microorganisms with the process gas and for the production of a liquid product, wherein the membrane vessel retains the plurality of membrane modules;
• a liquid supply conduit for communicating a process liquid with the hollow fiber lumens of the hollow fibers for permeation of water and nutrients to the biolayer and permeation of liquid products from the biolayer into admixture with the process liquid;
• a liquid recovery conduit in communication with the hollow fiber lumens to recover the process liquid containing the liquid products from the membrane vessel;
• a gas supply conduit for supplying the process gas containing at least one of CO or a mixture of CO2 and H2 to the interior of the membrane vessel;
• and
• a product recovery system operably connected to receive the process liquid from the liquid recovery conduit, to separate the liquid product from the process liquid, and to return the process liquid to the membrane vessel.

A bioreaction method comprising:

• retaining a process gas in a membrane vessel under anaerobic conditions;
• maintaining a plurality of membrane modules in a horizontally spaced arrangement and at least partially surrounded in the process gas, the membrane modules having a plurality of hollow fibers, each of the plurality of hollow fibers having a hollow fiber wall defining a hollow fiber lumen and an outer surface;
• growing a biolayer of microorganisms within biopores along the outer surface of the hollow fibers and producing a liquid product by interaction of the microorganisms with the process gas;
• and,
• passing a process liquid into the hollow fiber lumens and exchanging the process liquid through the hollow fiber wall to supply water and nutrients to biolayer and withdraw the liquid product in admixture with the process liquid.