Genifuel Corporation

Battelle Memorial Institute

James R Oyler

Douglas Charles Elliott

Alan H Zacher

Todd R Hart

Gary G Neuenschwander

Andrew J Schmidt

Leslie J Rotness, Jr

A process for production of biofuels from algae can include cultivating an oil-producing algae by promoting sequential photoautotrophic and heterotrophic growth. The method can further include producing oil by heterotrophic growth of algae wherein the heterotrophic algae growth is achieved by introducing a sugar feed to the oil-producing algae. An algal oil can be extracted from the oil-producing algae, and can be converted to form biodiesel.

Two-stage process for producing oil from microalgae

Processes, systems, and methods for producing combustible gas from wet biomass are provided. In one aspect, for example, a process for generating a combustible gas from a wet biomass in a closed system is provided. Such a process may include growing a wet biomass in a growth chamber, moving at least a portion of the wet biomass to a reactor, heating the portion of the wet biomass under high pressure in the reactor to gasify the wet biomass into a total gas component, separating the gasified component into a liquid component, a non-combustible gas component, and a combustible gas component, and introducing the liquid component and non-combustible gas component containing carbon dioxide into the growth chamber to stimulate new wet biomass growth.

Closed-loop system for growth of aquatic biomass and gasification thereof

A system and process are described for clean separation of biocrudes and water by-products from hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) product mixtures of organic and biomass-containing feedstocks at elevated temperatures and pressures. Inorganic compound solids are removed prior to separation of biocrude and water by-product fractions to minimize formation of emulsions that impede separation. Separation may be performed at higher temperatures that reduce heat loss and need to cool product mixtures to ambient. The present invention thus achieves separation efficiencies not achieved in conventional HTL processing.

System and process for efficient separation of biocrudes and water in a hydrothermal liquefaction system

A method for cultivating algae can include providing a body of water in a substantially enclosed system. The enclosed system can have a length of channel and a cover. The method can optionally include circulating the body of water through the enclosed system under positive pressure conditions. The positive pressure should prevent ingress of any external atmosphere or material. Further, the method can include cultivating the algae in the body of water at conditions which promote growth. Likewise, a system for cultivating algae can include a channel with a cover, water in the channel, and a pump to introduce positive pressure into the system.

Controlled growth environments for algae cultivation

Processing of wet biomass feedstock by liquid-phase catalytic hydrothermal gasification must address catalyst fouling and poisoning. One solution can involve heating the wet biomass with a heating unit to a pre-treatment temperature sufficient for organic constituents in the feedstock to decompose, for precipitates of inorganic wastes to form, for preheating the wet feedstock in preparation for subsequent removal of soluble sulfate contaminants, or combinations thereof. Processing further includes reacting the soluble sulfate contaminants with cations present in the feedstock material to yield a sulfate-containing precipitate and separating the inorganic precipitates and/or the sulfate-containing precipitates out of the wet feedstock. Having removed much of the inorganic wastes and the sulfate contaminants that can cause poisoning and fouling, the wet biomass feedstock can be exposed to the heterogeneous catalyst for gasification.

Methods for sulfate removal in liquid-phase catalytic hydrothermal gasification of biomass

The present invention provides aquatic biomass having enhanced growth and methods for selecting and growing a mix of aquatic organisms to maximize production of such a biomass. In one aspect, for example, a method of enhancing aquatic biomass growth is provided. Such a method can include preselecting at least two organisms selected from the group consisting of an algae mixture, a cyanobacteria mixture, and a diatom mixture, combining the at least two organisms at a growth enhancing ratio in a growth environment, and growing the at least two organisms as an aquatic biomass under environmental conditions in the growth environment that further enhance biomass growth, wherein the aquatic biomass growth is synergistic.

Use of mixed species for rapid growth of aquatic biomass

A process for production of biofuels from algae can include cultivating an oil-producing algae, extracting the algal oil, and converting the algal oil to form biodiesel. Extracting the algal oil from the oil-producing algae can include biologically rupturing cell wall and oil vesicles of the oil-producing algae using at least one enzyme such as a cellulose or glycoproteinase, a structured enzyme system such as a cellulosome, a virus, or combination of these materials.

Process of producing oil from algae using biological rupturing

A process for production of biofuels from biomass can include depolymerizing a biomass to form a feed. The feed can be formed by autotrophically growing algal biomass and extracting the feed therefrom. The algal feed can be converted to an algal oil by introducing the algal feed to an oil-producing algae under growth conditions sufficient to encourage formation of algal oil within the oil-producing algae. The algal oil can be extracted from the oil-producing algae and can further be converted to biodiesel.

Growing community of inventors

Salt Lake City, UT, United States of America

James R Oyler