# US 2023/0407345 A1 · Liquid distributor system and process of liquid distribution

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 2023/0407345 A1
- Document ID: US20230407345A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 17/807,309
- Filed: 2022-06-16
- Published: 2023-12-21
- Earliest claimed: 2022-06-16
- Assignees: LanzaTech, Inc.
- Applicants: LanzaTech, Inc.
- Inventors: Paul Alvin Sechrist; Bjorn Daniel Heijstra; Joshua Jeremy Conolly
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20230407345A1

## CPC

- C12P 7/04: acyclic
- C12M 29/00: {Means for introduction, extraction or recirculation of materials, e.g. pumps (pumps per se F04B)}
- C12M 29/06: {Nozzles; Sprayers; Spargers; Diffusers (per se B01F23/231, B01J19/26)}
- C12M 29/18: {External loop; Means for reintroduction of fermented biomass or liquid percolate (loop type reactors for chemical or physical processes B01J19/2435)}
- C12M 29/24: {Recirculation of gas}
- Y02E 50/10: Biofuels, e.g. bio-diesel
- C12P: FERMENTATION OR ENZYME-USING PROCESSES TO SYNTHESISE A DESIRED CHEMICAL COMPOUND OR COMPOSITION OR TO SEPARATE OPTICAL ISOMERS FROM A RACEMIC MIXTURE {(brewing of beer C12C; producing vinegar C12J; producing specific peptides or proteins C07K; producing enzymes C12N9/00; DNA or RNA concerning genetic engineering, vectors, e.g. plasmids, or their isolation, preparation or purification C12N15/00; measuring or testing processes involving enzymes or microorganisms C12Q; measuring or testing processes involving nucleic acid amplification reactions C12Q1/6844; fermentation processes to form a food composition, A21 or A23; compounds in general, see the relevant compound class, e.g. C01, C07)}
- C12M: APPARATUS FOR ENZYMOLOGY OR MICROBIOLOGY; {APPARATUS FOR CULTURING MICROORGANISMS FOR PRODUCING BIOMASS, FOR GROWING CELLS OR FOR OBTAINING FERMENTATION OR METABOLIC PRODUCTS, i.e. BIOREACTORS OR FERMENTERS}
- Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION

## Abstract

The disclosure provides a system and a process for injecting and uniformly distributing a liquid into a fermentation broth in a bioreactor for maintaining stable condition within the fermentation broth. The system includes a downcomer section which contains two or more circular pipe conduits extending from a wall of the downcomer to the center vertical axis line of the downcomer. Liquid injection apertures are arranged along the circular pipe conduit and are non-uniformly spaced apart from the center vertical axis of the downcomer to the wall of the downcomer. The apertures further alternate and are offset between the top and bottom surfaces of the circular pipe conduit. The process of the disclosure involves using the system described above for carrying out a fermentation process for converting a C1-substrate to at least one product such as ethanol.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A bioreactor system comprising:
(i) a riser section;
(ii) a downcomer section in fluid communication with the riser section;
(iii) at least two liquid distributors each comprising a circular pipe conduit longitudinally extending from a wall of the downcomer section and terminating at a closed end proximate to a center vertical axis of the downcomer section; and
(iv) the circular pipe conduit comprising:
a plurality of liquid injection apertures along the circular pipe conduit beginning at a proximal end from the center vertical axis and terminating at a distal end from the center vertical axis;
the liquid injection apertures arranged such that the spacing between successive apertures decreases non-uniformly along the length of the circular pipe conduit from the proximal end of the center vertical axis of the downer section to the distal end of the center vertical axis of the downer section.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the liquid injection apertures are positioned in a plane which is perpendicular to the center vertical axis of the downcomer section.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the downcomer section comprises two liquid distributors radially spaced apart at about 180 degrees from each other.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the downcomer section comprises four liquid distributors radially spaced apart at about 90 degrees from each other.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein each of the liquid injection aperture opening varies from about 3 mm to about 11 mm.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the number of apertures varies from 4 to 10 apertures.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the liquid injection apertures alternate and are offset between a top and a bottom surface of the circular pipe conduit.

### Claim 8

A liquid distributor comprising:
a circular pipe conduit comprising a plurality of liquid injection apertures, the conduit comprising a closed end and a connector end wherein the liquid injection apertures are arranged from the closed end of the circular pipe conduit to the connector end of the circular pipe conduit, the spacing between successive apertures decreases non-uniformly from the closed end to the connector end of the circular pipe conduit.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The liquid distributor of claim 8, wherein the connector end comprises a connector secured to a flange.

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

The liquid distributor of claim 8, wherein each of the liquid injection aperture opening varies from about 3 mm to about 11 mm.

### Claim 11 (depends on 8)

The liquid distributor of claim 8, wherein the number of apertures varies from 4 to 10 apertures.

### Claim 12 (depends on 8)

The liquid distributor of claim 8, wherein the liquid injection apertures alternate and are offset between a top and a bottom surface of the circular pipe conduit.

### Claim 13

A fermentation process comprising:
a. fermenting a C1—containing gaseous substrate in a bioreactor having a culture of one or more C1 fixing microorganism to produce a fermentation broth comprising at least one fermentation product;
b. circulating the fermentation broth from a riser section of the bioreactor and then through a downcomer section of the bioreactor; and
c. injecting at least one liquid into the fermentation broth through at least two liquid distributors, each liquid distributor comprising:
(i) a circular pipe conduit longitudinally extending from a wall of the downcomer section to a center vertical axis of the downer section and terminating at a closed end proximate to the center vertical axis of the downcomer section;
(ii) the circular pipe conduit comprising a plurality of liquid injection apertures along the circular pipe conduit beginning at a proximal end from the center vertical axis and terminating at a distal end from the center vertical axis;
(iii) the liquid injection apertures arranged such that the spacing between successive apertures decreases non-uniformly along the circular pipe conduit from the proximal end of the center vertical axis of the downer section to the distal end of the center vertical axis of the downer section; and
(iv) the liquid injection apertures arranged such that the stream exiting one aperture covers an annular area substantially equal to the annular area covered by a successive aperture.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The process of claim 13, wherein the liquid injection apertures are alternate and are offset between a top and a bottom surface of the circular pipe conduit.

### Claim 15 (depends on 13)

The process of claim 13, wherein the liquid injection apertures are positioned in a plane which is perpendicular to the central vertical axis of the downcomer section.

### Claim 16 (depends on 13)

The process of claim 13, wherein each of the liquid injection aperture injects the liquid at an exit velocity in the range from about 0.5 m/s to about 1.2 m/s.

### Claim 17 (depends on 13)

The process of claim 13, wherein the liquid is selected from NH4OH, KOH, nutrients, phosphoric acid, or any combinations thereof.

### Claim 18 (depends on 13)

The process of claim 13, wherein the at least one fermentation product is selected from ethanol, acetate, 1-butanol, butyrate, 2,3-butanediol, lactate, butene, butadiene, methyl ethyl ketone, ethylene, acetone, isopropanol, lipids, 3-hydroxypropionate, terpenes, fatty acids, 2-butanol, 1,2-propanediol, 1-propanol, 1-hexanol, 1-octanol, chorismate-derived products, 3-hydroxybutyrate, 1,3-butanediol, 2-hydroxyisobutyrate, isobutylene, adipic acid, 1,3-hexanediol, 3-methyl-2-butanol, 2-buten-1-ol, isovalerate, isoamyl alcohol, monoethylene glycol, and any mixtures thereof.

### Claim 19 (depends on 13)

The process of claim 13, wherein the C1 fixing microorganism is selected from or derived from Clostridium, Moorella, Pyrococcus, Eubacterium, Desulfobacterium, Carboxydothermus, Acetogenium, Acetobacterium, Acetoanaerobium, Butyribaceterium, Peptostreptococcus and mixtures thereof.

### Claim 20 (depends on 13)

The process of claim 13, wherein the C1 fixing microorganism is a microorganism selected from or derived from Acetobacterium woodii, Alkalibaculum bacchii, Blautia producta, Butyribacterium methylotrophicum, Clostridium aceticum, Clostridium autoethanogenum, Clostridium carboxidivorans, Clostridium coskatii, Clostridium drakei, Clostridium formicoaceticum, Clostridium ljungdahlii, Clostridium magnum, Clostridium ragsdalei, Clostridium scatologenes, Eubacterium limosum, Moorella thermautotrophica, Moorella thermoacetica, Oxobacter pfennigii, Sporomusa ovata, Sporomusa silvacetica, Sporomusa sphaeroides, Cupriavidus necator and Thermoanaerobacter kivui.

### Claim 21

A bioreactor system comprising:
(i) a riser section;
(ii) a downcomer section in fluid communication with the riser section; and
(iii) a liquid distributor comprising a circular pipe conduit attached to a downcomer section wall and longitudinally extending from the downcomer section wall across substantially the entire diameter of the downcomer and terminating at a closed end and secured to a support member attached to the downcomer section wall proximate to the closed end;
(iv) the circular pipe conduit comprising:
a plurality of liquid injection apertures along the circular pipe conduit beginning at a midpoint of the circular pipe conduit, corresponding to the center vertical axis of the downcomer section, the liquid injection apertures arranged such that the spacing between successive liquid injection apertures decreases non-uniformly along the length of the circular pipe conduit from the midpoint of the circular pipe conduit to both the closed end of the circular pipe conduit and to the downcomer section wall to which the conduit is attached.

### Claim 22 (depends on 21)

The system of claim 21, wherein the liquid injection apertures are positioned in a plane which is perpendicular to the central vertical axis of the downcomer section.

### Claim 23 (depends on 21)

The system of claim 21, wherein each of the liquid injection aperture have an opening from about 3 mm to about 11 mm.

### Claim 24 (depends on 21)

The system of claim 21, wherein the liquid injection apertures alternate and are offset between a top and a bottom surface of the circular pipe conduit.