System and Method of Generating Hydrogen Gas
AssigneeRaytheon BBN Technologies Corp.
InventorsBenjamin Jacob Rosenthal, Miles Rogers, Helen Scott
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Abstract
A method of generating hydrogen gas includes providing a colony of sulfur-reducing bacteria and a colony of sulfur-oxidizing bacteria. The colonies can be submerged in a body of water. The colony of sulfur-reducing bacteria can be used to convert at least a portion of sulfates present in the body of water to hydrogen sulfide. The colony of sulfur-oxidizing bacteria can be used to convert the hydrogen sulfide to sulfuric acid. The sulfuric acid can react with manganese to produce hydrogen gas and manganese sulfate.
Claims20
A method of generating hydrogen gas, comprising:
- providing a colony of sulfur-reducing bacteria and a colony of sulfur-oxidizing bacteria, wherein the colonies are submerged in a body of water;
- using the colony of sulfur-reducing bacteria, converting at least a portion of sulfates present in the body of water to hydrogen sulfide;
- using the colony of sulfur-oxidizing bacteria, converting the hydrogen sulfide to sulfuric acid;
- and
- reacting the sulfuric acid with manganese to produce hydrogen gas and manganese sulfate.
A system for generating hydrogen gas, comprising:
- a housing submerged or submergible in a body of water;
- a colony of sulfur-reducing bacteria in or on the housing to convert sulfates in the body of water to hydrogen sulfide;
- a colony of sulfur-oxidizing bacteria in or on the housing to convert the hydrogen sulfide to sulfuric acid;
- and
- a reaction chamber at least partially enclosed by the housing to react the sulfuric acid with manganese to produce hydrogen gas and manganese sulfate.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.