Systems and methods for biological conversion of carbon dioxide pollutants into useful products
Methods and systems to achieve clean fuel processing systems in which carbon dioxide emissions ( 1 ) from sources ( 2 ) may be processed in at least one processing reactor ( 4 ) containing a plurality of chemoautotrophic bacteria ( 5 ) which can convert the carbon dioxide emissions into biomass ( 6 ) which may then be used for various products ( 21 ) such as biofuels, fertilizer, feedstock, or the like. Sulfate reducing bacteria ( 13 ) may be used to supply sulfur containing compounds to the chemoautotrophic bacteria ( 5 ).
1. A method for biologically converting inorganic carbon to useful products comprising the steps of:
containing inorganic carbon emissions from a source;
introducing said inorganic carbon emissions from said source into a sulfide oxidation bioreactor;
introducing oxygen into said sulfide oxidation bioreactor;
biologically producing biomass, sulfate, and sulfites in said sulfide oxidation bioreactor;
transferring said sulfate and said sulfites produced in said sulfide oxidation bioreactor to a sulfur reducing bioreactor;
utilizing said sulfate and said sulfites in said sulfur reducing bioreactor;
biologically producing biomass and hydrogen sulfide in said sulfur reducing bioreactor;
recycling said hydrogen sulfide from said sulfur reducing bioreactor to said sulfide oxidation bioreactor;
utilizing said recycled hydrogen sulfide in said sulfide oxidation bioreactor in said step of biologically producing said biomass, sulfate, and sulfites in said sulfide oxidation bioreactor;
extracting at least some biomass, lipids and paraffin from said sulfide oxidation bioreactor and said sulfur reducing bioreactor; and
producing products from said biomass, said lipids, and said paraffin extracted from said sulfide oxidation bioreactor and said sulfur reducing bioreactor.
2. A method for biologically converting inorganic carbon to useful products according to claim 1 wherein said sulfide oxidation bioreactor comprises chemoautotrophic bacteria.
3. A method for biologically converting inorganic carbon to useful products according to claim 1 wherein said sulfur reducing bioreactor comprises sulfate reducing bacteria.
4. A method for biologically converting inorganic carbon to useful products according to claim 1 and further comprising the step of biologically converting un-extracted biomass in said sulfide oxidation bioreactor and said sulfur reducing reactor to a nutrient material.
5. A method for biologically converting inorganic carbon to useful products according to claim 4 wherein said nutrient material comprises lactate.
6. A method for biologically converting inorganic carbon to useful products according to claim 4 and further comprising the step of recycling nutrients to both said sulfide oxidation bioreactor and said sulfur reducing bioreactor.
7. A method for biologically converting inorganic carbon to useful products according to claim 1 and further comprising the step of recovering un-converted nutrient sources.
8. A method for biologically converting inorganic carbon to useful products according to claim 7 and further comprising the step of dewatering said un-converted nutrient sources.
9. A method for biologically converting inorganic carbon to useful products according to claim 1 wherein said step of introducing said oxygen into said sulfide oxidation bioreactor comprises the step of providing oxygen from said source.
10. A method for biologically converting inorganic carbon to useful products according to claim 1 and further comprising the step of recovering oxygen and carbon dioxide from said sulfide oxidation bioreactor.
11. A method for biologically converting inorganic carbon to useful products according to claim 1 and further comprising the step of dewatering said biomass extracted from said sulfide oxidation bioreactor and said sulfur reducing bioreactor.
12. A method for biologically converting inorganic carbon to useful products according to claim 1 wherein said products are selected from a group consisting of methane, hydrogen, alcohol, fertilizer, feedstock, fuel, transportation fuel, bioenergy, food, biofuel, biodiesel, aviation fuel, gasoline, military fuels, ethanol, plastics, animal feed, and food amendments.
13. A method for biologically converting inorganic carbon to useful products according to claim 1 and further comprising the step of recovering non-extractable biomass from said sulfide oxidation bioreactor and said sulfur reducing bioreactor.
14. A method for biologically converting inorganic carbon to useful products according to claim 1 wherein said source of said inorganic carbon emissions is selected from a group consisting of power generation sources, cement producing plants, coal refineries, oil refineries, refineries, lime producing plants, non-power generation sources, coal-fired power plants, natural gas-fired power plants, generation fuel cells, and combustion power plants.
15. A method for biologically converting inorganic carbon to useful products according to claim 1 and further comprising the step of reusing said biomass.