Methods and Systems for the Production of Alcohols and/or Acids
Methods and systems for the production of one or more products from a gas stream produced in a methanol production process. The method comprises converting at least a portion of a methane feedstock to a substrate comprising CO and H2. The substrate comprising CO and H2 is anaerobically fermented in a bioreactor to produce one or more alcohols. The method and system may further include process for the production of methanol processes for the production of acetic acid.
1 - 21 . (canceled)
22 . A method for producing one or more products from a gas stream comprising methane, the method comprising;
a) converting at least a portion of the gas stream to a substrate comprising CO and H 2 by catalytic oxidation;
b) passing a portion of the substrate to a methanol synthesis vessel operated at conditions to convert at least a portion of the CO and H 2 to methanol; and
c) passing a second portion of the substrate of step (a) to a bioreactor containing a culture of at least one microorganism, and anaerobically fermenting at least a portion of the substrate comprising CO and H 2 to produce at least one product.
23 . The method of claim 22 further comprising taking an exit gas stream comprising CO and H 2 from the methanol synthesis vessel and passing it to the bioreactor for use as a fermentation substrate.
24 . The method of claim 22 , wherein the at least one product is selected from the group consisting of ethanol; 2,3-butanediol; and acetic acid.
25 . The method of claim 22 wherein a hydrogen rich gas stream is produced as a by-product of the fermentation, the hydrogen rich gas stream comprising hydrogen and carbon dioxide.
26 . The method of claim 25 further comprising passing the hydrogen rich gas stream to a second bioreactor comprising a culture of at least one microorganism; and anaerobically fermenting at least a portion of the hydrogen rich gas stream to produce at least one product.
27 . The method of claim 26 wherein the at least one product is selected from the group consisting of alcohols and acids.
28 . The method of claim 27 wherein the acid is acetic acid.
29 . The process of claim 22 further comprising passing at least a portion of an exit stream comprising methanol and CO from the methanol synthesis vessel to a methanol carbonylation vessel operated at conditions to convert the methanol and CO to acetic acid.
30 . The process of claim 29 further comprising passing an exit stream from the carbonylation vessel, the exit stream comprising acetic acid, by-products and waste products to a separation vessel operated at conditions to produce an acetic acid product stream and a gaseous stream comprising CO.
31 . The process of claim 30 where the gaseous stream is passed to the bioreactor.
32 . A system for producing products by microbial fermentation, the system comprising;
a) a catalytic oxidation zone, wherein a methane feedstock is converted to a substrate comprising CO and H 2 ;
b) a methanol synthesis vessel configured to convert at least a portion of the substrate comprising CO and H 2 to methanol;
c) means to pass at least a portion of the substrate comprising CO and H 2 to a first bioreactor prior to and/or after the substrate is passed to the methanol synthesis vessel of (b); and
d) a first bioreactor containing a microbial culture of one or more microorganisms, the bioreactor being configured to covert at least a portion of the substrate comprising CO and H 2 to products by microbial fermentation.
33 . The system of claim 32 , further comprising a second bioreactor connected to the first bioreactor, the second bioreactor containing a culture of one or more microorganism, capable of converting a substrate comprising H 2 and CO 2 to products by microbial fermentation.
34 . The system of claim 33 wherein the substrate comprising H 2 and CO 2 is a by-product of the fermentation of CO and H 2 from the first bioreactor; wherein the system further comprises a means for passing the substrate comprising H 2 and CO 2 from the first bioreactor to the second bioreactor.
35 . The system of claim 32 further comprising a methanol carbonylation vessel configured to receive at least a portion of an exit stream comprising methanol and CO from the methanol synthesis vessel, the carbonylation vessel configured to convert the methanol and CO to acetic acid.
36 . The system of claim 35 further comprising a separation vessel configured to receive at least a portion of an exit stream comprising acetic acid, by-products and waste products from the carbonylation vessel, the separation vessel configured to produce an acetic acid product stream and a gaseous stream comprising CO.