Process for improving carbon conversion efficiency
The invention provides for the integration of a CO-consuming process, such as a gas fermentation process, with a CO 2 electrolysis process. The invention is capable of utilizing a CO 2 -comprising gaseous substrate generated by an industrial process and provides for one or more removal modules to remove at least one constituent from a CO 2 -comprising gaseous substrate prior to passage of the gaseous substrate to a CO 2 electrolysis module. The invention may further comprise one or more pressure modules, one or more CO 2 concentration modules, one or more O 2 separation modules, and/or an H 2 electrolysis module. Carbon conversion efficiency is increased by recycling CO 2 produced by a CO-consuming process to the CO 2 electrolysis process.
1. A system comprising:
a. an industrial system comprising a gaseous substrate output conduit in fluid communication with a removal module comprising a CO 2 -treated gas stream output conduit;
b. a CO 2 concentration module in fluid communication with the CO 2 -treated gas stream output conduit and comprising a CO 2 -concentrated gas stream output conduit;
c. a CO 2 electrolysis module in fluid communication with the CO 2 -concentrated gas stream output conduit and comprising a CO-enriched stream output conduit and a first O 2 -enriched stream output conduit;
d. an O 2 separation module in fluid communication with the first O 2 -enriched stream output conduit and comprising a second O 2 -enriched stream output conduit in fluid communication with the industrial system and an O 2 -lean stream output conduit; and
e. a bioreactor comprising a culture of at least one C1-fixing microorganism in fluid communication with the CO-enriched stream output conduit and the O 2 -lean stream output conduit, wherein the bioreactor comprises a tail gas stream output conduit in fluid communication with the removal module and a fermentation products output conduit.
2. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a first pressure module in fluid communication with the gaseous substrate output conduit and the removal module.
3. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a second pressure module in fluid communication with the CO-enriched stream output conduit and the bioreactor.
4. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a water electrolysis module in fluid communication with the bioreactor.
5. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a third pressure module in fluid communication with the tail gas stream output conduit and the removal module.
6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the industrial system carries out an industrial process selected from carbohydrate fermentation, cement making, pulp and paper making, steel making, oil refining and associated processes, petrochemical production, coke production, anaerobic or aerobic digestion, gasification, natural gas extraction, oil extraction, metallurgical processes, production and/or refinement of aluminum, copper, and/or ferroalloys, geological reservoirs, Fischer-Tropsch processes, methanol production, pyrolysis, steam methane reforming, dry methane reforming, partial oxidation of biogas or natural gas, autothermal reforming of biogas or natural gas, and any mixture thereof.
7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the removal module is selected from a hydrolysis module, an acid gas removal module, a deoxygenation module, a catalytic hydrogenation module, a particulate removal module, a chloride removal module, a tar removal module, a hydrogen cyanide polishing module, or any combination thereof.
8. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a deoxygenation module in fluid communication with the CO-enriched stream outlet conduit.
9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the C1-fixing microorganism is a carboxydotrophic bacterium.
10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the carboxydotrophic bacterium is selected from Moorella, Clostridium, Ruminococcus, Acetobacterium, Eubacterium, Butyribacterium, Oxobacter, Methanosarcina , and Desulfotomaculum.
11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the carboxydotrophic bacterium is Clostridium autoethanogenum.
12. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a conversion process system in fluid communication with the fermentation products output conduit, wherein the conversion process system is a diesel fuel component conversion process system, a jet fuel component conversion process system, and/or a gasoline fuel component conversion process system.
13. The system of claim 1 wherein the O 2 -lean stream output conduit is further in fluid communication with the electrolysis module.