Submerged membrane supported bioreactor for conversion of syngas components to liquid products

1. A membrane bioreactor for anaerobic conversion of a process gas into liquid products comprising:

a plurality of two headed membrane modules having a plurality of hollow fibers, each of the plurality of hollow fibers having a gas permeable hollow fiber wall defining a hollow fiber lumen and an outer surface, a first potted end spaced apart from a second potted end, the first potted end operably connected to one end of the hollow fibers and the second potted end operably connected to the other end of the hollow fibers to allow the process gas to flow through the hollow fiber lumens from the first potted end to the second potted end;

a membrane tank adapted for complete filling by a process liquid and for retaining the membrane modules submerged in a process liquid for formation of a biofilm on the outer surface of the hollow fiber wall by interaction of microorganisms with the process gas and for the production of a liquid product that mixes with the process liquid, wherein the membrane tank retains the membrane modules in a common horizontal plane across which the hollow fibers extend vertically;

a seal between contents of the membrane tank and ambient atmosphere comprising a hydrostatic tower located above all of the modules and extending above the tank, the membrane modules being in fluid communication with the hydrostatic tower for retaining a column of the process liquid above the membrane tank to provide a liquid seal between the membrane tank and the ambient atmosphere and to pressurize the process liquid that surrounds the membrane modules; and,

a gas supply conduit for communicating the process gas with the hollow fiber lumens of the hollow fibers.

2. The bioreactor of claim 1 wherein:

the gas supply conduit is operably connected to the hollow fibers to supply the process gas containing at least one of CO or a mixture of CO 2 and H 2 ; and,

the membrane tank retains membrane modules in the process liquid for the formation of the biofilm containing microorganisms selected from the group consisting of Clostridium ragsdalei, Butyribacterium methylotrophicum, Clostridium Ijungdahlii, Clostridium carboxidivorans , and combinations thereof and for the production of the liquid product selected from the group consisting of ethanol, n-butanol, hexanol, acetic acid, butyric acid, and combinations thereof.

3. The bioreactor of claim 1 further comprising:

a liquid outlet in communication with the membrane tank to withdraw the process liquid; a pressure reducing valve operably connected to the liquid outlet to receive the process liquid and reduce to the pressure of the process liquid to diffuse dissolved process gas from the process liquid; and a gas/liquid separation tank operably connected to the pressure reducing valve to separate the diffused process gas from the process liquid.

4. The bioreactor of claim 3 further comprising a product recovery system operably connected to receive the process liquid from the gas/liquid separation tank, to separate the liquid product from the process liquid, and to return the process liquid to the membrane tank.

5. The bioreactor of claim 1 wherein the hollow fibers have a length equal to 1.015 to 1.15 times the distance between the first potted end and the second potted end to produce slack in the fibers.

6. The bioreactor of claim 1 wherein the two-headed membrane modules are operably connected so that the process gas flows in parallel through the hollow fiber lumens of the plurality of two-headed membrane modules and the two-headed membrane modules are open for contact of the outer surface of the hollow fibers with the process liquid across the volume of the membrane tank.

7. The bioreactor of claim 1 wherein the working volume of the hydrostatic tower is less than the working volume of the membrane tank.