Abstract: Disclosed are methods of dewatering solid byproduct. In some embodiments, the solid byproduct contains particles and is produced from a fermentation process for making an oxygenated compound such as ethanol. The method comprises a chemical sequence for conditioning (pre-treating) the solid byproduct to be dewatered. The solid byproduct (in water) is treated with alkaline material to increase its pH to about 7-8.5. Coagulant is added to the alkaline-treated solid byproduct to reduce charge on the solid byproduct. An agglomerating polymer is then added to increase the average size of the solid byproduct particles to a desired size (e.g., at least about 1 mm). Dewatering can further use known technologies such as screw press, belt press, filter press, centrifuge, and/or a dryer to separate the conditioned or pre-treated byproduct from water. Also disclosed are methods of producing oxygenated product, as well as methods of producing animal feed and/or fertilizer, respectively.

Abstract: “Green” methods of preparing oxygenated products, animal feed, and fertilizer are disclosed. Desired oxygenated products include, but are not limited to, ethanol, acetic acid, butyrate, butanol, propionate, propanol, or any combination thereof. The methods use synthesis gas (syngas), which can be produced from processing of coal, natural gas, and/or biomass. The syngas contains some combination of hydrogen, carbon monoxide, and/or carbon dioxide. The method entails blending the syngas with purge (tail) gases from industrial processes and/or with hydrogen gas, e.g., produced from renewable sources. The resulting mixture is a H2-enriched syngas that is fermented by microorganisms that are well suited to ferment hydrogen-rich gases. Byproducts from the method can also be recovered. The disclosure also provides methods of preparing material fertilizer and animal feed, respectively.

Abstract: Provided is a method of anaerobically fermenting a gaseous substrate to form a liquid product, the method comprising: (a) introducing the gaseous substrate into a bio-reactor, the gaseous substrate comprising at least one of the following constituents: carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and hydrogen, (b) the bio-reactor comprising a fermentation broth therein, the fermentation broth containing at least two types of microorganisms, one type comprising at least one fermenting species, and the other type comprising at least one competing species; (c) introducing at least one type of ionophore into the reactor, the ionophore having selectivity for preferentially inhibiting the at least one competing species from growing and/or producing an undesired product; and (d) allowing the gaseous substrate to ferment by exposure to the at least one fermenting species, to produce the liquid product and a system for doing the same.

Abstract: The methods are disclosed for sustaining a population of microorganisms in an aqueous fermentation broth used in a process to convert syngas to alcohol when the supply of syngas is impaired. The methods involve supplying at least one formate moiety at a rate and amount sufficient to maintain the population of microorganisms. The introduction of the formate moiety also results in the production of at least one metabolic compound other than ethanol and/or acetate by the microorganisms. The metabolic compound can comprise at least one energy storage compound which can be used to support the microorganisms during processing, storage and reactivation.

Abstract: A system and method for concentrating and removing suspended solids from a liquid stream using a filtering device to separate the liquid stream into a permeate stream and a retentate stream, the retentate stream having a higher concentration of particles than the liquid stream or the permeate stream, and providing the retentate stream to a liquid recovery zone to separate the retentate stream into a clarified fluid stream and a concentrated particle stream.

Abstract: Processes are disclosed for economically and effectively removing co-produced oxygenated organic compound from an anaerobic, aqueous fermentation broth used for the bioconversion of syngas to product oxygenated organic compound. The processes involve subjecting a portion of the aqueous fermentation broth after recovery of the product oxygenated organic compound to anaerobic organic bioconversion, and recycling the broth for use in the bioconversion of syngas.

Abstract: Processes for starting up and operating anaerobic, deep tank fermentation reactors including a process for anaerobic bioconversion of a gas substrate comprising carbon monoxide, hydrogen, and carbon dioxide in a reactor by contact of the gas substrate with an aqueous menstruum containing microorganisms suitable for converting the gas substrate to an oxygenated organic compound in the reactor. The process further includes: blanketing the reactor above the aqueous menstruum to the essential exclusion of oxygen with a head space gas comprising at least one of carbon monoxide, hydrogen, carbon dioxide, nitrogen, and a lower alkane; continuously supplying a feed gas comprising at least a portion of the gas substrate to the aqueous menstruum in the reactor; and injecting the gas substrate and a motive liquid into the reactor to form a dispersion of the motive liquid and microbubbles, the microbubbles having a diameter of less than about 500 microns.

Abstract: High conversion efficiency processes are disclosed for the anaerobic bioconversion of syngas to alcohol. The processes use bioreactors that have a non-uniform gas composition and a substantially uniform liquid composition such as deep tank bioreactors. By maintaining certain electron to carbon mole ratios in the syngas feed to the bioreactors and certain partial pressures of carbon dioxide in the off gas from the bioreactors, at least about 80 percent of the hydrogen and at least about 95 percent of the carbon monoxide in the feed can be consumed.

Abstract: Methods are disclosed for controlling the population of acetoclastic microorganisms in a process for the bioconversion of gas substrate comprising at least one of CO and a mixture of CO2 and hydrogen to at least one oxygenated organic compound by contact of said gas substrate under acidic, anaerobic fermentation conditions in a bioreactor containing an aqueous fermentation broth having a population of at least one acetogenic microorganism for bioconverting said gas substrate to at least one acetogenic oxygenated organic compound, said fermentation zone defining a head space, said methods comprising continuously or intermittently controlling the partial pressure of carbon dioxide in the head space to provide a desired population ratio of acetoclastic microorganisms to acetogenic microorganisms.

Abstract: Processes are disclosed for the conversion of biomass to oxygenated organic compound using a simplified syngas cleanup operation that is cost effective and protects the fermentation operation. The processes of this invention treat the crude syngas from the gasifier by non-catalytic partial oxidation. The partial oxidation reduces the hydrocarbon content of the syngas such as methane, ethylene and acetylene to provide advantageous gas feeds for anaerobic fermentations to produce oxygenated organic compounds such as ethanol, propanol and butanol. Additionally, the partial oxidation facilitates any additional cleanup of the syngas as may be required for the anaerobic fermentation. Producer gases and partial oxidation processes are also disclosed.

Abstract: Continuous processes for the anaerobic bioconversion of syngas to oxygenated hydrocarbonaceous products, in particular lower alkanols, are disclosed in which nutrients, including micronutrients, and lower carboxylate anion are recovered from at least a portion of an aqueous distillation fraction from a distillation unit operation to recover lower alkanols by using a “tight” ultrafiltration membrane. At least about 75 percent of the water permeates the ultrafiltration membrane. The tight ultrafiltration membrane rejects sufficient components that are adverse to the microorganisms used in the bioconversion that continuous fermentation operations over long durations can be achieved.

Abstract: The invention relates to improvements in the production of butanol and butyrate by microbial fermentation, particularly to production of alcohols by microbial fermentation of a substrate comprising CO and the addition of an inorganic sulfur additive. It more particularly relates to the provision of an inorganic organic sulfur source to a fermentation system such that one or more micro-organisms convert a substrate comprising CO to butanol. In one aspect the invention uses a sulfur additive comprising inorganic sulfur compounds having a +2 to a +4 sulfur oxidation state that produces sulfur oxoanions and hydrosulfur oxoanions in an aqueous fermentation medium.

Abstract: This invention pertains to processes for selectively oxidizing hydrogen cyanide contained in syngas using permanganate anion as an oxidant contained in an aqueous solution that is contacted with the syngas under certain conditions of temperature, pressure and duration of contact.

Abstract: Integrated processes are disclosed for the anaerobic bioconversion of syngas to alcohol.

Abstract: Processes are disclosed for economically and effectively removing co-produced oxygenated organic compound from an anaerobic, aqueous fermentation broth used for the bioconversion of syngas to product oxygenated organic compound. Nitrate anion is added to the broth and the broth is contacted with denitrifying microorganisms that bioconvert the nitrate and organic compounds in the broth to reduced nitrogen compound and carbon dioxide.

Abstract: Processes for starting up and operating anaerobic, deep tank fermentation systems to anaerobically bioconvert hydrogen and carbon monoxide in a gaseous substrate stream to oxygenated organic compounds and for steady operation of such fermentation systems are shown. Injectors use a motive liquid to introduce gas substrate as a stable gas-in liquid dispersion into the deep tank fermentation reactor where at least one of: (i) adjusting the gas to liquid flow ratio through an injector, (ii) changing the rate of liquid flow through an injector, and (iii) adjusting the carbon monoxide mole fraction in the gas feed by admixture with at least one other gas, wherein the mass transfer of carbon monoxide to an aqueous menstruum in the reactor is controlled to obtain the robust growth of the microorganism and/or continued conversion of gas substrate while maintaining the carbon monoxide concentration below that amount which is unduly adverse to the microorganism.

Abstract: High conversion efficiency processes are disclosed for the anaerobic bioconversion of syngas to alcohol. The processes use bioreactors that have a non-uniform gas composition and a substantially uniform liquid composition such as deep tank bioreactors. By maintaining certain electron to carbon mole ratios in the syngas feed to the bioreactors and certain partial pressures of carbon dioxide in the off gas from the bioreactors, at least about 80 percent of the hydrogen and at least about 95 percent of the carbon monoxide in the feed can be consumed.

Abstract: Integrated processes are provided for syngas refining and bioconversion of syngas to oxygenated organic compound. In the integrated processes ammonia contained in the syngas is recovered and used as a source of nitrogen and water for the fermentation. The integrated processes first remove tars from syngas by scrubbing using a first aqueous medium under conditions that ammonium bicarbonate is unstable. With tars removed, contact between the syngas and a second aqueous medium enables ammonia and carbon dioxide to be removed from the syngas without undue removal of components adverse to the fermentation, processing or oxygenated product such as benzene, toluene, xylene, ethylene, acetylene, and hydrogen cyanide. At least a portion of the second aqueous medium is supplied as a source of water and ammonia for the fermentation.

Abstract: This invention provides methods and systems for the production of butanol. Specifically, the methods and systems of the present invention use syntrophic co-cultures for the production of butanol from syngas.

Abstract: The methods are disclosed for sustaining a population of microorganisms in an aqueous fermentation broth used in a process to convert syngas to alcohol when the supply of syngas is decreased or ceased. The methods involve supplying at least one reducible anion in a rate an amount sufficient to maintain the population of microorganisms.