Patents by Inventor Sean Dennis Simpson

Sean Dennis Simpson 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: 20220315876
    Abstract: The disclosure provides for methods and a system for storing energy in the form of a biopolymer. The method comprises intermittently processing electric energy generated from a renewable and/or non-renewable energy source in an electrolysis process to produce at least H2, Oor CO; intermittently passing H2, O2, or CO from the electrolysis process to a bioreactor containing a bacterial culture capable of producing a biopolymer; and fermenting the culture. The disclosure further provides a system for storing energy in the form of biopolymer comprising an electrolysis process in intermittent fluid communication with a renewable and/or non-renewable energy source for producing at least one of H2, O2, or CO; a bioreactor, in intermittent fluid communication with the electrolysis process and/or in continuous fluid communication with an industrial plant, comprising a reaction vessel suitable for intermittently growing, fermenting, and/or culturing and housing a microorganism capable of producing a biopolymer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 25, 2022
    Publication date: October 6, 2022
    Inventors: Sean Dennis Simpson, Nicholas Bourdakos, Xueliang Li
  • Publication number: 20220010350
    Abstract: A fermentation unit and a method of carrying out fermentation are described. The fermentation unit can be transported from one facility to another to carry out a fermentation process. The fermentation unit and method allow for the fermentation of a C1-containing substrate from a source at a particular facility to produce products such as alcohols and acids. Examples of the source of the C1-containing substrate include without limitation steel manufacturing processes, coal and biomass gasification processes, coke manufacturing processes, etc. The fermentation unit can be housed within a container having a volume of less than about 6 m3.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 27, 2021
    Publication date: January 13, 2022
    Inventors: Bjorn Daniel Heijstra, Sean Dennis Simpson, Nicholas Bourdakos, Jason Carl Bromley, Kai-Ming Yap
  • Publication number: 20210381010
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to methods of capturing carbon by microbial fermentation of a gaseous substrate comprising CO into one or more first products which, in turn, may be incorporated into an article of manufacture or one or more second products. Further, the disclosure relates to improving carbon capture and/or efficiency.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 24, 2021
    Publication date: December 9, 2021
    Inventor: Sean Dennis Simpson
  • Patent number: 11155850
    Abstract: Apparatuses and associated methods are described for the efficient evaluation of C1-containing substrates, and especially for such evaluation conducted locally, or on-site, at a prospective facility for implementation of a biological conversion process for desired end product using a C1 carbon source. The exact composition of a given, industrial C1-containing substrate, as well as the range in composition fluctuations, are generally difficult to reproduce at a remote facility (e.g., a laboratory or a pilot-scale or demonstration-scale process), as required for the accurate prediction/modeling of commercial performance to justify large capital expenditures for commercial scale-up.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2021
    Assignee: LanzaTech New Zealand Limited
    Inventors: Bjorn Daniel Heijstra, Sean Dennis Simpson, Nicholas Bourdakos, Jason Carl Bromley, Kai-Ming Yap
  • Publication number: 20210277430
    Abstract: The disclosure provides methods and systems to produce lipid products from a gaseous substrate using a two-stage fermentation process. The method comprises providing a gaseous substrate comprising CO, CO2 or H2 or mixtures thereof, to a first bioreactor containing a culture or one or more microorganisms and fermenting the substrate to produce acetate. The acetate from the first bioreactor is then provided to a second bioreactor, where it is used as a substrate for fermentation to lipids by one or more microalgae. Tail gas from the second bioreactor is recycled to the first bioreactor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 9, 2020
    Publication date: September 9, 2021
    Inventors: Sean Dennis Simpson, Christophe Daniel Mihalcea, Robert John Conrado
  • Patent number: 11111510
    Abstract: The invention provides methods and systems for the production of lipid products from a gaseous substrate using a two stage fermentation process. The method comprises providing a gaseous substrate comprising CO, CO2 or H2 or mixtures thereof, to a first bioreactor containing a culture or one or more microorganisms, and fermenting the substrate to produce acetate. The acetate from the first bioreactor is then provided to a second bioreactor, where it is used as a substrate for fermentation to lipids by one or more microalgae.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2021
    Assignees: LanzaTech New Zealand Limited, DBT-IOC Centre for Advanced Bio-Energy Research
    Inventors: Sean Dennis Simpson, Sebastian Michal Bernasek, Deepak K Tuli
  • Patent number: 11053517
    Abstract: The invention provides for methods by which the economics of the gas fermentation process are improved. The invention provides for the integration of a fermentation process, with an industrial process and an electrolyzer process. The invention provides for the intermittent supply of electrolyzer feedstock from the electrolyzer process to the bioreactor for fermentation. The electrolyzer feedstock may displace at least a portion of the C1 feedstock from the industrial process. The electrolyzer feedstock may supplement the C1 feedstock from the industrial process. Whether or not the electrolyzer feedstock supplements or displaces the C1 feedstock with electrolyzer feedstock may be based upon a function of the cost per unit of the C1 feedstock, the cost per unit of the electrolyzer feedstock, and the value per unit of the fermentation product.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2021
    Assignee: LanzaTech, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert John Conrado, Sean Dennis Simpson, Christophe Daniel Mihalcea
  • Publication number: 20210024961
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to the combination of a primary fermentation that converts gas to acetate with a secondary fermentation that converts acetate to a target product. Preferably, the gas contains carbon dioxide, such that the disclosure enables the fixation of carbon dioxide into useful products. The fermentations may be any combination of aerobic and anaerobic, batch and continuous. The fermenting microorganisms may typically be bacterial or fungal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 24, 2020
    Publication date: January 28, 2021
    Inventors: Sean Dennis Simpson, Allan Haiming Gao, Robert John Conrado, James Daniel Winkler, Alexander Paul Mueller, Steven Brown, Loan Phuong Tran, Michael Koepke, Christophe Daniel Mihalcea
  • Publication number: 20200123580
    Abstract: The invention provides methods and systems for the production of lipid products from a gaseous substrate using a two stage fermentation process. The method comprises providing a gaseous substrate comprising CO, CO2 or H2 or mixtures thereof, to a first bioreactor containing a culture or one or more microorganisms, and fermenting the substrate to produce acetate. The acetate from the first bioreactor is then provided to a second bioreactor, where it is used as a substrate for fermentation to lipids by one or more microalgae.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2019
    Publication date: April 23, 2020
    Inventors: Sean Dennis Simpson, Sebastian Michal Bernasek, Deepak K. Tuli
  • Patent number: 10570427
    Abstract: The invention provides methods and systems for the production of lipid products from a gaseous substrate using a two stage fermentation process. The method comprises providing a gaseous substrate comprising CO, CO2 or H2 or mixtures thereof, to a first bioreactor containing a culture or one or more microorganisms, and fermenting the substrate to produce acetate. The acetate from the first bioreactor is then provided to a second bioreactor, where it is used as a substrate for fermentation to lipids by one or more microalgae.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2020
    Assignees: LANZATECH NEW ZEALAND LIMITED, DBT-IOC Centre for Advanced Bio-Energy Research
    Inventors: Sean Dennis Simpson, Sebastian Michal Bernasek, Deepak K Tuli
  • Publication number: 20200048665
    Abstract: The invention relates to methods of capturing carbon by microbial fermentation of a gaseous substrate comprising CO into one or more first products which, in turn, may be incorporated into an article of manufacture or one or more second products.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 17, 2019
    Publication date: February 13, 2020
    Inventor: Sean Dennis Simpson
  • Publication number: 20200002734
    Abstract: The invention relates to a steel mill adapted to provide gas stream(s) comprising CO to a microbial fermentation, the steel mill comprising a steel mill structure containing apparatus for a steel manufacturing process wherein said apparatus produces waste gases during various stages of the steel making process, said waste gases being directed into the atmosphere by a waste stack, wherein the waste stack is connected to a fermentation system by a transfer means connected to the waste stack to divert at least a portion of the waste gases to the microbial fermentation system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 5, 2019
    Publication date: January 2, 2020
    Inventors: Sean Dennis Simpson, Christophe Collet, Michael Cockrem, Simon David Oakley, Michael Koepke
  • Publication number: 20190323042
    Abstract: The invention provides for methods by which the economics of the gas fermentation process are improved. The invention provides for the integration of a fermentation process, with an industrial process and an electrolyzer process. The invention provides for the intermittent supply of electrolyzer feedstock from the electrolyzer process to the bioreactor for fermentation. The electrolyzer feedstock may displace at least a portion of the C1 feedstock from the industrial process. The electrolyzer feedstock may supplement the C1 feedstock from the industrial process. Whether or not the electrolyzer feedstock supplements or displaces the C1 feedstock with electrolyzer feedstock may be based upon a function of the cost per unit of the C1 feedstock, the cost per unit of the electrolyzer feedstock, and the value per unit of the fermentation product.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 2, 2019
    Publication date: October 24, 2019
    Inventors: Robert John Conrado, Sean Dennis Simpson, Christophe Daniel Mihalcea
  • Patent number: 10435722
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for producing products by microbial fermentation. The method comprises first converting a feed stream containing methane to a gaseous substrate comprising CO, of the invention include converting CO H2, and CO2 using a steam reforming zone and a water gas shift zone. The gaseous substrate is then converted to products such as alcohols and/or acids by to one or more products including alcohols and/or acids by fermentation using a carboxydotrophic microorganism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2019
    Assignee: LANZATECH NEW ZEALAND LIMITED
    Inventors: Sean Dennis Simpson, Christophe Collet, Michael Cockrem, Simon David Oakley, Michael Koepke
  • 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: 20190024133
    Abstract: Apparatuses and associated methods are described for the efficient evaluation of C1-containing substrates, and especially for such evaluation conducted locally, or on-site, at a prospective facility for implementation of a biological conversion process for desired end product using a C1 carbon source. The exact composition of a given, industrial C1-containing substrate, as well as the range in composition fluctuations, are generally difficult to reproduce at a remote facility (e.g., a laboratory or a pilot-scale or demonstration-scale process), as required for the accurate prediction/modeling of commercial performance to justify large capital expenditures for commercial scale-up.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 24, 2018
    Publication date: January 24, 2019
    Inventors: Bjorn Daniel Heijstra, Sean Dennis Simpson, Nicholas Bourdakos, Jason Carl Bromley, Kai-Ming Yap
  • Patent number: 10113194
    Abstract: Apparatuses and associated methods are described for the efficient evaluation of C1-containing substrates, and especially for such evaluation conducted locally, or on-site, at a prospective facility for implementation of a biological conversion process for desired end product using a C1 carbon source. The exact composition of a given, industrial C1-containing substrate, as well as the range in composition fluctuations, are generally difficult to reproduce at a remote facility (e.g., a laboratory or a pilot-scale or demonstration-scale process), as required for the accurate prediction/modeling of commercial performance to justify large capital expenditures for commercial scale-up.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2018
    Assignee: LANZATECH NEW ZEALAND LIMITED
    Inventors: Bjorn Daniel Heijstra, Sean Dennis Simpson, Nicholas Bourdakos, Jason Carl Bromley, Kai-Ming Yap
  • Patent number: 9890399
    Abstract: Methods of capturing carbon by microbial fermentation of a gaseous substrate comprising CO. The methods include converting CO to one or more products including alcohols and/or acids and optionally capturing CO2 to improve overall carbon capture. In certain aspects, also disclosed are to processes for producing alcohols, particularly ethanol, from industrial waste streams, particularly steel mill off-gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2018
    Assignee: LANZATECH NEW ZEALAND LIMITED
    Inventors: Sean Dennis Simpson, Christophe Collet, Michael Cockrem, Simon David Oakley, Michael Koepke
  • Publication number: 20170342446
    Abstract: A method is provided for controlling a metabolic profile of an anaerobic microbial fermentation culture. In particular, a metabolic profile of a fermentation process is controlled by controlling the amount of dissolved CO2 provided to a culture. Further provided is a method of producing one or more products by microbial fermentation of a gaseous substrate through feeding tail gas CO2 from a reactor to a second reactor, or by recycling tail gas CO2 to the same reactor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 20, 2017
    Publication date: November 30, 2017
    Inventors: Sean Dennis Simpson, Michael Koepke, Kathleen Frances Smart, Loan Phuong Tran, Paul Sechrist
  • Publication number: 20170321232
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for producing products by microbial fermentation. The method comprises first converting a feed stream containing methane to a gaseous substrate comprising CO, of the invention include converting CO H2, and CO2 using a steam reforming zone and a water gas shift zone. The gaseous substrate is then converted to products such as alcohols and/or acids byto one or more products including alcohols and/or acids by fermentation using a carboxydotrophic microorganism.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 26, 2017
    Publication date: November 9, 2017
    Inventors: Sean Dennis Simpson, Christophe Collet, Michael Cockrem, Simon David Oakley, Michael Koepke, JR.