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US 4,439,315 AGranted
Methane generator
OwnerC. H. Whitesideinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A biogas generator which includes a medium conducive to the growing of plants that are floating and of the family that includes water hyacinths, lily pads, and elodea; a conveyor for transferring the free floating plants from the growing area to a decomposition area including a canopy adapted to entrain therewithin biogas given off by decomposing plants constrained thereunder, and an instrumentality for scavenging the biogas generated therein to a remote area for subsequent use and or compression.
Claims10
A biogas generator comprising, in combination:
- a liquid reservoir having first and second distinct zones and
- a liquid which supports plant growth in said reservoir and therefore said zones,
- a first said zone of said reservoir growing a supply of plant biomass therein,
- a second said zone of said reservoir contiguous with said first zone to receive and biodegrade said plant biomass producing a biogas,
- collection means including an imperforate opaque top wall to encourage plant decomposition overlying said second zone to collect said biogas produced therein,
- conveying means at a boundary of said zones to convey said plant biomass from said first zone to said second zone as needed to control the amount of biogas produced,
- and scavenging means to draw off biogas from said collection means to a site of storage and use
- whereby said plant biomass is continuously harvestable and biodegraded to produce a biogas to be used as an energy source and said plant biomass once degraded serves as nutrient for further plant biomass growth defining a continous closed system.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.