# US 8,464,540 B2 · Waste to energy process and plant > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,464,540 B2 - Document ID: US8464540B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 12/469,581 - Filed: 2009-05-20 - Published: 2010-02-25 - Granted: 2013-06-18 - Earliest claimed: 2008-05-23 - Assignees: Pacific Waste, Inc. - Applicants: Kosti Shirvanian; Arthur Aykanian - Inventors: Kosti Shirvanian; Arthur Aykanian - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8464540B2 ## CPC - F02C 6/18: using the waste heat of gas-turbine plants outside the plants themselves, e.g. gas-turbine power heat plants (using waste heat as source of energy for refrigeration plants F25B27/02; using the waste heat of a gasturbine for steam generation or in a steam cycle see F01K23/10) - F01K 23/067: {the combustion heat coming from a gasification or pyrolysis process, e.g. coal gasification (gas turbines with fuel gasifiers F02C3/28)} - F02C 3/28: using a separate gas producer for gasifying the fuel before combustion - F05D 2220/75: equipment using fuel having a low calorific value, e.g. low BTU fuel, waste end, syngas, biomass fuel or flare gas - F05D 2260/61: Removal of CO2 - Y02E 20/12: Heat utilisation in combustion or incineration of waste - Y02E 20/18: Integrated gasification combined cycle [IGCC], e.g. combined with carbon capture and storage [CCS] - Y02E 20/32: Direct CO2 mitigation - Y02E 50/10: Biofuels, e.g. bio-diesel - F02C: GAS-TURBINE PLANTS; AIR INTAKES FOR JET-PROPULSION PLANTS; CONTROLLING FUEL SUPPLY IN AIR-BREATHING JET-PROPULSION PLANTS (construction of turbines F01D; jet-propulsion plants F02K; construction of compressors or fans F04; generating combustion products of high pressure or high velocity F23R; using gas turbines in compression refrigeration plants F25B11/00) - F01K: STEAM ENGINE PLANTS; STEAM ACCUMULATORS; ENGINE PLANTS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; ENGINES USING SPECIAL WORKING FLUIDS OR CYCLES (gas-turbine or jet-propulsion plants F02; nuclear power plants, engine arrangements therein G21D) - F05D: INDEXING SCHEME FOR ASPECTS RELATING TO NON-POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT MACHINES OR ENGINES, GAS-TURBINES OR JET-PROPULSION PLANTS - Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION ## Abstract A plant produces electrical energy from municipal solid waste without exhausting a carbon dioxide or other carbon based gas to the atmosphere. The plant includes a source of artificial light powered by electrical energy, and a reactor into which the municipal solid waste is fed and which is operated under temperature, pressure and flow rate conditions to produced a syngas. An electrical energy generating station at which the syngas is burned produces the electrical energy and a flue gas comprising carbon dioxide and other products of combustion. At least a portion of the electrical energy is used to power the artificial light source. A carbon dioxide collector separates the carbon dioxide from the other products of combustion in the flue gas to provide a clean carbon dioxide suitable as a nutrient for microorganisms, and a farm of the microorganisms is illuminated essentially constantly, alternately with sunlight and artificial light from said source. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A process that produces electrical energy from municipal solid waste, said process comprising the steps of (a) feeding the municipal solid waste to a reactor and operating the reactor under temperature, pressure and flow rate conditions to produced a syngas, (b) feeding the syngas to an electrical energy generating station and burning the syngas to produce electrical energy and a flue gas including carbon dioxide, (c) feeding the carbon dioxide to a farm of microorganisms where the microorganisms are illuminated by light, wherein said microorganisms produce a high-purity oxygen that is recycled to be mixed with the syngas or fed to the rector, (d) transmitting the light to the microorganisms through an optical fiber system from a light source, said light source comprising artificial light generated at least in part from the electrical energy from the electrical energy generating station. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1 where heat from the flue gas is used to produce steam that drives a steam generator. ### Claim 3 A process that produces electrical energy from municipal solid waste, said process comprising the steps of (a) feeding the municipal solid waste to a reactor and operating the reactor under temperature, pressure and flow rate conditions to produced a syngas, (b) feeding the syngas to an electrical energy generating station and burning the syngas to produce electrical energy and a flue gas including carbon dioxide, (c) without exhausting the flue gas to the atmosphere, feeding the carbon dioxide to a farm of microorganisms where the microorganisms are illuminated by artificial light produced in part by the electrical energy produced by burning the flue gas, and wherein said microorganisms produce a high-purity oxygen that is recycled to be mixed with the syngas or fed to the reactor. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The process of claim 3 where said process is continuous and the microorganisms are illuminated essentially continuously 24 hours a day. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The process of claim 4 where the light is transmitted through an optical fiber system, said light being from the sun during daytime and the artificial light during nighttime. ### Claim 6 (depends on 3) The process of claim 3 where heat from the flue gas is used to produce steam that drives an electrical generator. ### Claim 7 A plant that produces electrical energy from municipal solid waste, said plant comprising an artificial light source powered by electrical energy, a fluidized bed reactor into which the municipal solid waste is fed and which is operated under temperature, pressure and flow rate conditions to produced a syngas, an electrical energy generating station at which the syngas is burned to produce a flue gas including carbon dioxide and steam that drives an electrical generator that produces electrical energy, at least a part of the electrical energy being used to power said artificial light source, a farm of microorganisms that is illuminated, alternating with sunlight and artificial light from said source, where said microorganisms produce a high-purity oxygen that is recycled to be mixed with the syngas or fed to the reactor, and a light concentrator that concentrates the light and then forwards to the microorganisms the concentrated light via an optical fiber system. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The plant of claim 7 where the microorganisms are illuminated essentially constantly.