Structured reactor for biofilm cultivation and gaseous extraction

Abstract

A scalable and modular bioreactor defines a compact gas-liquid interface area populated with gas consuming microbes in a stacked arrangement for facilitating growth of the microbes in the presence of the greenhouse gases the microbes consume. A biofilm-based interface between liquid and gaseous regions of the reactor positions the microbes at the gas-liquid interface for metabolic exchanges of the gas for conversion into liquid and gaseous output. Microbes are selected for an affinity for a particular gas, such as methane (CH4), and metabolize carbon based outputs such as carbon biopolymers and gases such as carbon dioxide (CO2) and hydrogen (H2) for harvesting or recircling back for further metabolic conversions.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.