Granted Patent B2

US 12,723,227 · App. 18/057,011 · Granted Sep 1, 2026

Inventors: Arild Johannessen (Sandnes, NO); Terje Ernst Mikalsen (Osteras, NO)

Assignee: Gas 2 Feed AS

C12M27/04C12M41/34

Abstract

Claims (76)

1 . A gas-recycling system for recycling gas in a loop-shaped reactor, the gas-recycling system comprising:

an enclosure including a loop section, enclosing an internal space comprising a gas space and a liquid space, wherein the liquid space includes liquid, and wherein the gas space is configured to collect gas separated from the liquid space within a reactor;

a liquid pump arranged in the liquid space to increase or maintain pressure and flow direction in the liquid space and prevent or reduce backflow of gas bubbles in the liquid space; and

a powered propeller comprising:

a shaft having an upper end and a lower end, wherein the lower end extends into the liquid space;

a plurality of blades connected to the lower end of the shaft; and

a gas conduit extending from a first end to a second end, wherein the first end is in gas communication with the gas space, and wherein the second end is proximate the radial blades and extending into the liquid space;

wherein upon rotation of the powered propeller, the powered propeller is configured to:

generate a suction to cause the collected gas to flow from the gas space to the liquid space through the gas conduit; and

mix the liquid and the collected gas proximate the powered propeller.

2 . The gas-recycling system of claim 1 , wherein the reactor is a fermentation reactor.

3 . The gas-recycling system of claim 1 , wherein the reactor causes fluid therein to flow through the loop section by the liquid pump.

4 . The gas-recycling system of claim 1 , wherein the gas conduit is within the enclosure, and wherein a part of the shaft extends through an interior space of the gas conduit.

5 . The gas-recycling system of claim 1 , further comprising an external gas conduit external to the enclosure, and wherein the gas-recycling system further comprises a gas compressor connected to the external gas conduit, the gas compressor configured to promote gas flow from the gas space to the liquid space.

6 . The gas-recycling system of claim 1 , wherein the liquid pump comprises a plurality of propeller blades connected to the powered propeller above the lower end of the shaft, wherein the propeller blades are configured to co-rotate conjunctively with the shaft during operation.

7 . The gas-recycling system of claim 1 , wherein the liquid space contains a reaction mixture comprising:

gaseous substrates comprising CO 2 , or derived dissolved carbon compounds, H 2 , and O 2 ;

nitrogen and phosphorus-comprising compounds and other minerals required to sustain growth of microorganisms; and

microorganisms capable of converting the substrate into biomass.

8 . The gas-recycling system of claim 7 , wherein the microorganism is a knallgas microorganism selected from the group consisting of: Rhodopseudomonas sp., Rhodospirillum sp., Rhodococcus ; sp., Rhizobium sp.: Thiocapsa sp., Pseudomonas sp., Nocardia sp., Hydrogenomonas sp., Hydrogenobacter sp., Hydrogenovibrio sp.: Helicobacter sp., Xanthobacter sp., Hydrogenophaga sp., Bradyrhizobium sp., Ralstonia sp., Gordonia sp.: Mycobacteria sp., Alcaligenes sp.: Cupriavidus sp.: Variovorax sp., Acidovorax sp., Anabaena sp.: Scenedesmus sp.: Chlamydomonas sp., Ankistrodesmus sp., Rhaphidium sp., and combinations thereof.

9 . The gas-recycling system of claim 7 , wherein the reactor further comprises one or more inlets configured to introduce CO 2 , H 2 , O 2 or any combinations thereof into the reactor.

10 . The gas-recycling system of claim 9 , wherein the external CO 2 gas being introduced into the reactor is from a source of biogenic CO 2 .

11 . The gas-recycling system of claim 10 , wherein the source of biogenic CO 2 comprises an aquatic farming plant, wherein the biogenic CO 2 is produced by living aquatic organisms therein.

12 . The gas-recycling system of claim 11 , wherein the produced biomass from the reactor is supplied to the aquatic farming plant as feed.

13 . The gas-recycling system of claim 9 , wherein the external CO 2 gas being introduced into the reactor is generated from an industrial process or an industrial fermentation process.

14 . The gas-recycling system of claim 7 , further comprising a controller configured to adjust the ratio of the CO 2 /H 2 /O 2 being introduced into the reactor.

15 . The gas-recycling system of claim 7 , wherein the reactor further comprises an exit port configured to harvest the produced biomass from the reactor.

16 . The gas-recycling system of claim 11 , wherein the loop section further comprises a plurality of static mixers configured to promote the mixing of the gas into the liquid medium.

17 . The gas-recycling system of claim 1 , wherein the liquid pump is driven by the shaft of the powered propeller.

18 . A fermentation reactor comprising:

an enclosure including a loop section, enclosing an internal space comprising a gas space and a liquid space, wherein the liquid space includes liquid, and wherein the gas space is configured to collect gas separated from the liquid space within a reactor;

a liquid pump arranged in the liquid space to increase or maintain pressure and flow direction in the liquid space and prevent or reduce backflow of gas bubbles in the liquid space; and

a powered propeller comprising:

a shaft having an upper end and a lower end, wherein the lower end extends into the liquid space;

a plurality of blades connected to the lower end of the shaft; and

a gas conduit extending from a first end to a second end, wherein the first end is in gas communication with the gas space, and wherein the second end is proximate the blades and extending into the liquid space;

wherein upon rotation of the powered propeller, the powered propeller is configured to:

generate a suction to cause the collected gas to flow from the gas space to the liquid space through the gas conduit; and

mix the liquid and the collected gas proximate the powered propeller.

19 . A loop-shaped reactor comprising:

an enclosure including a loop section, enclosing an internal space comprising a gas space and a liquid space, wherein the liquid space includes liquid, and wherein the gas space is configured to collect gas separated from the liquid space within a reactor;

a liquid pump arranged in the liquid space to increase or maintain pressure and flow direction in the liquid space and prevent or reduce backflow of gas bubbles in the liquid space; and

a powered propeller comprising:

a shaft having an upper end and a lower end, wherein the lower end extends into the liquid space;

a plurality of blades connected to the lower end of the shaft; and

a gas conduit extending from a first end to a second end, wherein the first end is in gas communication with the gas space, and wherein the second end is proximate the blades and extending into the liquid space;

wherein upon rotation of the powered propeller, the powered propeller is configured to:

generate a suction to cause the collected gas to flow from the gas space to the liquid space through the gas conduit; and

mix the liquid and the collected gas proximate the powered propeller,

wherein the loop reactor causes fluid therein to flow from the lower portion of the liquid space to the upper portion of the liquid space through the loop section.

20 . A process for recycling gas in a loop-shaped reactor, the process comprising:

collecting gas separated from a liquid space in a gas space within an enclosure of a gas-recycling system, the gas recycling system comprising:

an enclosure including a loop section, enclosing an internal space comprising a gas space and a liquid space, wherein the liquid space includes liquid, and wherein the gas space is configured to collect gas separated from the liquid space within a reactor;

a liquid pump arranged in the liquid space to increase or maintain pressure and flow direction in the liquid space and prevent or reduce backflow of gas bubbles in the liquid space; and

a powered propeller comprising:

a shaft having an upper end and a lower end, wherein the lower end extends into the liquid space;

a plurality of blades connected to the lower end of the shaft; and

a gas conduit extending from a first end to a second end, wherein the first end is in gas communication with the gas space, and wherein the second end is proximate the blades and extending into the liquid space;

rotating the powered propeller to:

generate a suction to cause the collected gas to flow from the gas space to the liquid space through the gas conduit; and

mix the liquid and the collected gas proximate the powered propeller.

21 . A process for producing biomass, the process comprising:

culturing a microorganism in a reaction mixture in a reactor, wherein the reaction mixture comprises a liquid medium, wherein the microorganism is capable of converting CO 2 into biomass;

introducing a substrate from an external source into the liquid medium and mixing the substrate with the liquid medium, wherein the substrate comprises CO 2 , H 2 , or O 2 ;

recycling gas separated from a liquid space back into the liquid space within the reactor, the reactor comprising:

an enclosure including a loop section, enclosing an internal space comprising a gas space and a liquid space, wherein the liquid space includes liquid, and wherein the gas space is configured to collect gas separated from the liquid space within a reactor;

a liquid pump arranged in the liquid space to increase or maintain pressure and flow direction in the liquid space and prevent or reduce backflow of gas bubbles in the liquid space; and

a powered propeller comprising:

a shaft having an upper end and a lower end, wherein the lower end extends into the liquid space;

a plurality of blades connected to the lower end of the shaft; and

a gas conduit extending from a first end to a second end, wherein the first end is in gas communication with the gas space, and wherein the second end is proximate the blades and extending into the liquid space;

collecting gas separated from the liquid space in the gas space;

rotating the powered propeller to:

generate a Venturi suction to cause the collected gas to flow from the gas space to the liquid space through the gas conduit; and

mix the liquid and the collected gas proximate the powered propeller; and

harvesting the biomass produced from the reactor.

Assignments (1)

Continuity (2)

References Cited (18)