University of Minnesota

Other

Hydochar LLC

Frederick J Schendel

Steven M Heilmann

Michael C Flickinger

Richard S Hanson

Kenneth J Valentas

Marc Von Keitz

Kazuhiko Matsui

Konosuke Sano

Michael J Sadowsky

Charles R Anderson

Marc Gregor Von Keitz

Paul R August

Lindsey R Jader

Richard Dillingham

Brandon M Wood

Paul A Lefebvre

Anthony L Mikula

Michael V Guettler

Brandon Michael Wood

The present disclosure provides methods for hydrothermally treating sewage wastes to preferably obtain valuable products, including fatty acids, carbon-neutral combustible hydrochar fuels, heavy metal salts for recycling into industrially important metals, and phosphoric acid and derivatives thereof. Fatty acids can be chemically transformed into useful products such as soaps, cosmetics and liquid transportation fuels such as biodiesel and conventional gasoline, diesel and aviation fuels; hydrochars created in the process can be combusted and the energy created used to generate electricity; heavy metal salts can be chemically reduced to form industrially important metals for use as catalysts; and phosphoric acid and its derivatives have very important roles as fertilizers in agriculture.

Hydrothermal carbonization of sewage wastes

The present invention concerns a process for producing synthetic coal and aqueous liquid plant fertilizing solution products from a fermentation residue such as is left over from the corn based process of producing ethanol. The synthetic coal has a high heat value commensurate with naturally occurring coals and is lower in ash and sulfur content and thus has value as a clean burning energy source. The aqueous fertilizer includes commercially useful amounts of phosphorous, potassium and nitrogen in solution. The process of the invention is also energy efficient in that the products produced thereby involve the use of substantially less energy as compared to the traditional methods of processing fermentation residues in the corn based ethanol production industry.

Methods of producing coal and fertilizers from fermentation residues

Algae-derived synthetic coal and filtrates. The invention described herein provides an algae-derived synthetic coal product and filtrates and process for preparing the same using an improved hydrothermal carbonization process. The synthetic coal product is similar to natural bituminous coal in terms of percent carbon content and energy equivalency while at the same time containing relatively low levels of sulfur and contaminant heavy metals. Unlike natural coal and other fossil fuels, because the carbon of the biomass is formed through photosynthesis, carbon dioxide formed during combustion is a 'carbon neutral' event with little or no 'new' carbon dioxide being added to the earth's atmosphere. The algae-derived filtrates contain useful constituents.

Algal coal and process for preparing same

A method of producing amino acids by culturing an amino acid auxotroph of a biologically pure strain of a type I methylotrophic bacterium of the genus Bacillus which exhibits sustained growth at 50&deg; C. using methanol as a carbon and energy source and requiring vitamin B,and biotin is provided.

Production of amino acids using auxotrophic mutants of methylotrophic bacillus

A method of producing glutamic acid by culturing a biologically pure wild type Bacillus methanolicus which exhibits sustained growth at 50.degree. C. using methanol as a carbon and energy source and requiring vitamin B.sub.12 and biotin is provided.

Production of glutamate using wild type Bacillus methanolicus

The invention provides a method for the direct biological production of calcium magnesium acetate using a novel combination of an aerobic thermophilic bacterium of the genus Bacillus, capable of supporting the sustained production of substantial quantities of acetic acid at low pH, high temperatures, and high salt concentrations. Strains of bacterium of the genus Bacillus selected and isolated for use in the present invention produce acetic acid in the presence of a neutralizing source of calcium and magnesium ions, such as dolomitic lime, to produce substantial quantities of calcium magnesium acetate.

Direct calcium magnesium acetate production

The present invention provides the isolated DNA sequence encoding the .alpha.B dimer subunit of the lysine-sensitive aspartokinase II isozyme from the thermophilic methylotrophic Bacillus sp. MGA3.

Bacillus MGA3 aspartokinase II gene

Growing community of inventors

Oakdale, MN, United States of America

Frederick J Schendel