Patents by Inventor Michael Emerson Martin

Michael Emerson Martin has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20220333140
    Abstract: The disclosure provides for the integration of a CO-consuming process, such as a gas fermentation process, with a CO2 to CO conversion system. The disclosure is capable of utilizing a CO2-comprising gaseous substrate generated by an industrial process and provides for one or more removal modules to remove at least one constituent from a CO2-comprising gaseous substrate prior to passage of the gaseous substrate to a CO2 to CO conversion system. The disclosure may further comprise one or more pressure modules, one or more CO2 concentration modules, one or more O2 separation modules, and/or a water electrolysis module. Carbon conversion efficiency is increased by recycling CO2 produced by a CO-consuming process to the CO2 to CO conversion process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 8, 2022
    Publication date: October 20, 2022
    Inventors: Robert John Conrado, Sean Dennis Simpson, Michael Emerson Martin, Jason Carl Bromley, Richard Russell Rosin
  • Patent number: 11471786
    Abstract: The invention is directed to a method for recovering at least one product from a fermentation broth. The invention relates to the use of a vacuum distillation vessel to recover products, such as ethanol, from a fermentation broth, where the fermentation broth comprises viable microbial biomass, and where the recovery of the product is completed in such a manner to ensure the viability of the microbial biomass. The invention provides for product recovery at an effective rate so as to prevent the accumulation of product in the fermentation broth. To ensure the viability of the microbial biomass, the invention is designed to reduce the amount of stress on the microbial biomass. By ensuring the viability of the microbial biomass, the microbial biomass may be recycled and reused in the fermentation process, which may result in an increased efficiency of the fermentation process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2022
    Assignee: LanzaTech, Inc.
    Inventors: Paul Alvin Sechrist, Nicholas Bourdakos, Robert John Conrado, Allan Haiming Gao, Jason Carl Bromley, Christophe Daniel Mihalcea, Michael Emerson Martin, Ignasi Palou-Rivera, Joseph Henry Tizard
  • Publication number: 20220325216
    Abstract: The disclosure provides methods to improve the economics of the gas fermentation process. A fermentation process is integrated with an industrial or syngas process and an reverse water gas shift process. An intermittent supply of reverse water gas shift process feedstock from the reverse water gas shift process is provided to the bioreactor for fermentation. The reverse water gas shift process feedstock may supplement or partially displace the C1 feedstock from the industrial or syngas process. Whether the reverse water gas shift process feedstock supplements or displaces the C1 feedstock may be based upon a function of the cost per unit of the C1 feedstock, the cost per unit of the reverse water gas shift process feedstock, and the value per unit of the fermentation product, or may depend upon the target gas ratio of the feedstock to the gas fermentation process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 8, 2022
    Publication date: October 13, 2022
    Inventors: Robert John Conrado, Sean Dennis Simpson, Michael Emerson Martin, Jason Carl Bromley, Richard Russell Rosin, Darren Earl Youngs
  • Publication number: 20220325217
    Abstract: An integrated process and system for the production of at least one gas fermentation product from a gaseous stream has been developed. The disclosure provides improved carbon utilization through both the recycle of a bioreactor tail gas via various different flow schemes and the employment of a CO2 to CO conversion system such as a reverse water gas shift unit. Recycling of the bioreactor tail gas and employment of a CO2 to CO conversion process provides for favourable H2:CO molar ratios of the feed to the gas fermentation bioreactor(s) for enhanced production of fermentation products. Bypass embodiments provide for optimal sizing of the reverse water gas shift unit to minimize cost.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 8, 2022
    Publication date: October 13, 2022
    Inventors: Robert John Conrado, Sean Dennis Simpson, Michael Emerson Martin, Jason Carl Bromley, Darren Earl Youngs, Richard Russell Rosin
  • Publication number: 20220325227
    Abstract: The disclosure provides for the integration of a fermentation process with at least one electrolysis process, a CO2 to CO conversion unit, and a C1-generating industrial process. In particular, the disclosure provides process and a system for utilizing electrolysis products, for example H2 and/or O2 in a CO2 to CO conversion unit to improve the process efficiency of at least one of the fermentation processes or the C1-generating industrial process. More particularly, the disclosure provides a process in which H2 generated by electrolysis is passed to a CO2 to CO conversion unit to improve the substrate efficiency for a fermentation process, and the O2 generated by electrolysis process is used to improve the composition of the C1-containing tail gas generated by the C1-generating industrial process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 8, 2022
    Publication date: October 13, 2022
    Inventors: Robert John Conrado, Sean Dennis Simpson, Michael Emerson Martin, Jason Carl Bromley, Richard Russell Rosin
  • Publication number: 20220325218
    Abstract: Methods and systems to control flexible gas fermentation platforms for improved conversion of CO2 into products is developed and particularly relates to a control process and system to control a ratio of feedstock gases and maximize the concentration of inert components in a bioreactor tail gas stream and or bioreactor headspace. Improved carbon utilization results though providing the most beneficial ratio of substrates to the bioreactor of the fermentation process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 8, 2022
    Publication date: October 13, 2022
    Inventors: Robert John Conrado, Jason Carl Bromley, Sean Dennis Simpson, Michael Emerson Martin
  • Publication number: 20220305399
    Abstract: The invention is directed to a method for recovering at least one product from a fermentation broth. The invention relates to the use of a vacuum distillation vessel to recover products, such as ethanol, from a fermentation broth, where the fermentation broth comprises viable microbial biomass, and where the recovery of the product is completed in such a manner to ensure the viability of the microbial biomass. The invention provides for product recovery at an effective rate so as to prevent the accumulation of product in the fermentation broth. To ensure the viability of the microbial biomass, the invention is designed to reduce the amount of stress on the microbial biomass. By ensuring the viability of the microbial biomass, the microbial biomass may be recycled and reused in the fermentation process, which may result in an increased efficiency of the fermentation process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 9, 2022
    Publication date: September 29, 2022
    Inventors: Paul Alvin Sechrist, Nicholas Bourdakos, Robert John Conrado, Allan Haiming Gao, Jason Carl Bromley, Christophe Daniel Mihalcea, Michael Emerson Martin, Ignasi Palou-Rivera, Joseph Henry Tizard
  • Publication number: 20220284269
    Abstract: This disclosure relates to analyzing a fermentation process that occurs in a bioreactor. Such a fermentation process may involve microbes consuming a substrate, and producing various metabolites. A computing device may train and execute one or more machine learning models to analyze such a fermentation process. Such a machine learning model may be configured to determine a current fermentation state of such a fermentation process as one example. As another example, a machine learning model may be configured to predict metabolite production of a fermentation process based on historical fermentation data and a window of control decisions for the fermentation process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 1, 2022
    Publication date: September 8, 2022
    Inventors: James Howden Daniell, Steven Samuel Glasker, Michael Emerson Martin, Melvin Moore, Michael James Harry Mawdsley, Jim Jeffrey Daleiden
  • Patent number: 10968465
    Abstract: The invention provides a process for reducing bio-catalytic oxidation of a product in a post-production stream. More particularly the invention provides a process for reducing bio-catalytic oxidation of an alcohol in a product stream, the product stream comprising an alcohol product, dissolved carbon dioxide, and at least one enzyme capable of oxidizing the alcohol. The invention finds applicability in fermentation processes, wherein a C1-fixing microorganism utilizes a C1-containing substrate to produce a fermentation product.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2021
    Assignee: LANZATECH, INC.
    Inventors: Michael James Harry Mawdsley, Michael Emerson Martin, Kathleen Frances Smart, Rachel Jane Brenc
  • Publication number: 20200188809
    Abstract: The invention is directed to a method for recovering at least one product from a fermentation broth. The invention relates to the use of a vacuum distillation vessel to recover products, such as ethanol, from a fermentation broth, where the fermentation broth comprises viable microbial biomass, and where the recovery of the product is completed in such a manner to ensure the viability of the microbial biomass. The invention provides for product recovery at an effective rate so as to prevent the accumulation of product in the fermentation broth. To ensure the viability of the microbial biomass, the invention is designed to reduce the amount of stress on the microbial biomass. By ensuring the viability of the microbial biomass, the microbial biomass may be recycled and reused in the fermentation process, which may result in an increased efficiency of the fermentation process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 26, 2020
    Publication date: June 18, 2020
    Inventors: Paul Alvin Sechrist, Nicholas Bourdakos, Robert John Conrado, Allan Haiming Gao, Jason Carl Bromley, Christophe Daniel Mihalcea, Michael Emerson Martin, Ignasi Palou-Rivera, Joseph Henry Tizard
  • Patent number: 10610802
    Abstract: The invention is directed to a device and associated method for recovering at least one product from a fermentation broth. The invention relates to the use of a vacuum distillation vessel to recover products, such as ethanol, from a fermentation broth, where the fermentation broth comprises viable microbial biomass, and where the recovery of the product is completed in such a manner to ensure the viability of the microbial biomass. The invention provides for product recovery at an effective rate so as to prevent the accumulation of product in the fermentation broth. To ensure the viability of the microbial biomass, the invention is designed to reduce the amount of stress on the microbial biomass. By ensuring the viability of the microbial biomass, the microbial biomass may be recycled and reused in the fermentation process, which may result in an increased efficiency of the fermentation process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2020
    Assignee: LANZATECH, INC.
    Inventors: Paul Alvin Sechrist, Nicholas Bourdakos, Robert John Conrado, Allan Ha Gao, Jason Carl Bromley, Christophe Daniel Mihalcea, Michael Emerson Martin, Ignasi Palou-Rivera, Joseph Henry Tizard
  • Patent number: 10358662
    Abstract: The invention provides schemes for the integration of a fermentation process, with an electrolysis process, and a C1-generating industrial process. In particular, the invention provides process for utilizing electrolysis products, for example H2 and/or O2, to improve the process efficiency of at least one of the fermentation process or the C1-generating industrial process. More particularly, the invention provides a process whereby, H2 generated by electrolysis is used to improve the substrate efficiency for a fermentation process, and the O2 generated by the electrolysis process is used to improve the composition of the C1-containing tail gas generated by the C1-generating industrial process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2019
    Assignee: LANZATECH NEW ZEALAND LIMITED
    Inventors: Sean Dennis Simpson, Robert John Conrado, Christophe Daniel Mihalcea, Michael Emerson Martin
  • Publication number: 20180355383
    Abstract: The invention provides a process for reducing bio-catalytic oxidation of a product in a post-production stream. More particularly the invention provides a process for reducing bio-catalytic oxidation of an alcohol in a product stream, the product stream comprising an alcohol product, dissolved carbon dioxide, and at least one enzyme capable of oxidizing the alcohol. The invention finds applicability in fermentation processes, wherein a C1-fixing microorganism utilizes a C1-containing substrate to produce a fermentation product.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 13, 2018
    Publication date: December 13, 2018
    Inventors: Michael James Henry Mawdsley, Michael Emerson Martin, Kathleen Francis Smart, Rachel Jane Brenc