Method of conversion of syngas using microorganism on hydrophilic membrane

A process for converting a feed gas containing at least one of CO or a mixture of CO2 and H2 to a liquid product under anaerobic conditions and recovering the liquid product with the fermentation liquid, said process comprising:

• a) passing feed gas to a feed gas chamber for gas phase having fluid communication of the feed gas with a biofilm comprising immobilized microorganisms that produce liquid products from the feed gas;
• b) retaining the biofilm on a biofilm exclusion surface of a gas contacting side of a hydrophilic membrane having a hollow fiber form with a central lumen wherein the biofilm exclusion surface is the outer surface of the hollow fiber membrane and the biofilm exclusion surface inhibit penetration of the biofilm into the membrane by no more than 10˜tm beyond the membrane surface;
• c) passing a fermentation liquid comprising water and nutrients from a liquid supply chamber through the lumen and across a porous surface of the membrane;
• d) permeating fermentation liquid from the lumen through the membrane wall and into contact with the biofilm;
• e) permeating fermentation liquid containing liquid products from the biofilm through the membrane wall and into the lumen;
• f) collecting fermentation liquid containing liquid products from the lumen in a liquid recovery chamber;
• and,
• g) passing fermentation liquid from the liquid recovery chamber to a product recovery section to recover liquid products from the process;
• wherein the feed gas passes serially through multiple assemblies of hollow fiber membranes, at least one feed gas chamber supplies feed gas for each hollow fiber membrane assembly and CO2 is removed from the feed gas as it passes from one assembly to the next through the system.

A process for converting a feed gas containing at least one of CO or a mixture of CO2 and H2 to ethanol under anaerobic conditions and delivering the ethanol to a fermentation liquid, said process comprising:

• a) passing feed gas to a feed gas chamber that houses a plurality of hollow fiber membranes and has fluid communication with a biofilm formed on the membranes comprising the microorganisms that produce ethanol from the feed gas wherein the outer surface of the membrane has pore size therein of 0.5˜tm or less for inhibiting penetration of the biofilm into the pores of the membrane;
• b) passing a fermentation liquid comprising water and nutrients from a liquid supply chamber through lumens of the membranes and across a porous surface of the membrane;
• d) permeating fermentation liquid from the lumen through the membrane wall and into contact with the biofilm;
• e) permeating fermentation liquid containing ethanol from the biofilm through the membrane wall and into the lumen;
• and,
• f) collecting fermentation liquid containing ethanol from the lumen in a liquid recovery chamber;
• and,
• g) passing fermentation liquid from the liquid recovery chamber to a product recovery section to recover ethanol from the process;
• wherein the feed gas passes serially through multiple assemblies of hollow fiber membranes, at least one feed gas chamber supplies feed gas for each hollow fiber membrane assembly and CO2 is removed from the feed gas as it passes from one assembly to the next through the system.