Method and apparatus for hydrogen production from organic wastes and manure
AssigneeGas Technology Institute
InventorJames Robert Paterek
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method for hydrogen production from biodegradable feedstocks in which a feedstock having at least one biodegradable solid is introduced into a first stage anaerobic bioreactor operating at thermophilic conditions to form a liquid effluent which includes fatty acids. The liquid effluent is transferred through a plurality of hollow semipermeable fibers disposed in a second stage anaerobic bioreactor having a light transmitting wall, which hollow semipermeable fibers have an outer surface coated with a biofilm of photosynthetic bacteria, which photosynthetic bacteria, using the nutrients in the hollow fibers and the incoming light, generates hydrogen.
Claims17
A method for hydrogen production from biodegradable feedstocks comprising the steps of:
- introducing a feedstock comprising at least one biodegradable solid into a first stage anaerobic bioreactor operating at thermophilic conditions, forming a liquid effluent;
- transferring said liquid effluent through a plurality of hollow semipermeable fibers disposed in a second stage anaerobic bioreactor having a light transmitting wall through which light is transmitted, said hollow semipermeable fibers having an outer surface coated with a biofilm comprising photosynthetic bacteria, forming hydrogen gas;
- and
- exhausting said hydrogen gas from said second stage anaerobic bioreactor.
A system for producing hydrogen comprising:
- a first stage anaerobic bioreactor vessel having a feedstock inlet and a liquid effluent outlet;
- a second stage anaerobic bioreactor vessel having a light transmitting outer wall, a liquid effluent inlet in fluid communication with said liquid effluent outlet and a hydrogen gas outlet;
- a plurality of hollow semipermeable fibers disposed in said second stage bioreactor vessel adapted to receive liquid effluent from said liquid effluent inlet;
- and
- at least one photosynthetic bacteria disposed in said second stage anaerobic bioreactor and external to said plurality of hollow semipermeable fibers.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.