DERIVE HEAT AND POWER FROM LOW-PRODUCING OR SHUT-IN NATURAL GAS WELLS

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application claims the benefit of and priority to United States Provisional Patent

Application No. 62/767,002 filed on November 14, 2018, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

FIELD

The present disclosure generally relates to portable cultivation systems that are configured with cogeneration equipment for connection to low-producing or shut-in natural gas wells, as well as to methods of supplying power and heating and/or cooling to a cultivation system or workstation from natural gas and/or natural gas liquids recovered from low-producing and shut-in gas wells.

BACKGROUND With the recent decline of the oil & gas industry, production from several thousands of natural gas wells worldwide has been reduced, suspended or altogether abandoned in view of economic viability. In Alberta alone, according to Alberta Energy, there were more than 81,000 inactive oil and gas wells as of the end of 2016, many of which are in‘orphan’ status meaning that the well does not have anyone responsible or able to deal with its closure and reclamation. This represents an over $30 billion liability for the industry, government and/or taxpayers.

Moreover, these inactive wells pose a variety of environmental risks, such as the contamination of soil and groundwater. They also fragment ecosystems, devalue property and prevent landowners from making full use of their land, such as through lease payments to surface owners and royalties for mineral rights. In Alberta, numerous organizations that have been formed or tasked with combating the liabilities posed by natural gas wells that are low-producing (largely inactive) or shut-in. For example, the Orphan Well Association (OWA) conducts testing on orphan wells to determine the work needed to abandon the well safely, and then oversees performance of this task. To handle this work, the Alberta Energy Regulator (AER) collects a levy (Orphan Well Levy) from all active oil and natural gas producers and remits these funds to the OWA. While the levy ensures that sites are safely abandoned, numerous costs are not covered. Moreover, at current funding levels, it is estimated that it would take 177 years to pay for the more than $30 billion in oil patch liabilities for inactive wells and other abandoned facilities.

Thus, the current scheme does not adequately address the huge liability that

low-producing and shut-in natural gas wells pose in the province of Alberta, and similarly throughout the world. There is a need for alternative solutions to managing and alleviating the liability associated with the thousands of low-producing and shut-in natural gas wells.

SUMMARY

The present disclosure recognizes that there are problems in the current existing technology in respect of combating liabilities posed by largely inactive natural gas wells, such as those that are low-producing or shut-in. In particular, current industry practice does not address the huge liability that shut-in natural gas wells pose. In addition, current farming technology in many regions, including Alberta, does not allow for the year round production of plant foods (e.g. produce) at a competitive cost and price point.

The present disclosure provides an opportunity for managing and alleviating the liability associated with thousands of shut-in gas wells, while at the same time providing local, safe, organic plant foods (or other plants or fungi) year round. As used herein, the term“fungi” means mushrooms. For example, in an embodiment, the present disclosure relates to a cultivation system that is a portable, self-contained unit that can be moved from one low-producing natural gas well to another with ease, and can be transported easily with grown crops on board, if desired. In another embodiment, the present disclosure provides methods for supplying power and heating and/or cooling to a cultivation system or workstation by connection to a low producing or shut-in natural gas well as the energy source.

In a particular embodiment, the present disclosure relates to a portable cultivation system for production of plants and/or fungi, said cultivation system comprising one or more portable units that individually or in combination comprise: (i) a power supply for connection to a low- producing or shut-in natural gas well, wherein the power supply comprises a cogeneration system that converts natural gas from the low-producing or shut-in natural gas well into electricity, heat and exhaust gas; (ii) an area for plant and/or fungi production; (iii) an artificial light source; (iv) one or more power-consuming devices; and (v) a heat-exchange system for heating the area for plant and/or fungi production by using heat from the exhaust gas, wherein at least one of the artificial light source and the one or more power-consuming devices is supplied electricity from the cogeneration system.

As previously described herein, the portable cultivation system may be a self-contained unit. In such embodiments, the portable cultivation system has onboard the portable structure all of the necessary equipment to cogenerate natural gas (e.g. coalbed or coal seam gas (CSG)) into usable energy, and use this power for the production of plants and/or fungi directly on low- producing or shut-in well sites, including by way of a gas-gathering system, a gas-gathering plant, or a gas-gathering facility that collects natural gas from one or more of the low-producing or shut-in natural gas wells.

In an embodiment, the power supply, the one or more power-consuming devices and the heat-exchange system are contained within or on the same portable unit as the artificial light source and the area for plant and/or fungi production. In an embodiment thereof, the natural gas utilities (e.g. power supply) and exhaust components are sealably separated from the area for plant and/or fungi production (e.g. in a separate room within the portable container). By “exhaust components”, it is meant any structure that houses or is in contact with an exhaust gas or any conduit that carries or transfers an exhaust gas. In such embodiments, the cultivation system can be moved as a single unit from one low-producing or shut-in natural gas well to the next. In another embodiment, the power supply, the one or more power-consuming devices and/or the heat-exchange system are contained within or on one or more different portable units than the area for plant and/or fungi production. In such embodiments, it is possible to leave the power supply, heat-exchange system and other accessory power-consuming devices (e.g.

water/air purification, exhaust gas treatment system, etc.) behind at the well site while one or more portable plant and/or fungi producing units, in separate units, are removed or replaced with alternate plant and/or fungi producing units. In this way, the portable unit may act both as the plant and/or fungi production container and as a delivery unit for transporting the produced plants and/or fungi to a destination.

In a particular embodiment, the power supply (which receives the natural gas from the low-producing or shut-in natural gas well), is in or on a different portable unit than other components, including at least the area for plant and/or fungi production. In an embodiment, the natural gas utilities (e.g. power supply) and exhaust components are in a portable container separated from any portable container housing an area for plant and/or fungi production. In this manner, the natural gas utilities are housed in a separate portable container from the portable plant and/or fungi production container or containers. This may be advantageous for safety reasons since, at source, natural gas is scentless and a leak may not be readily detected. Thus, having the natural gas utilities in a separate portable container from the portable plant and/or fungi production container may provide additional safety to workers and/or prevent

contamination of food supply. Even when the natural gas utilities are in the same portable container as the area for plant and/or fungi production, a preferred embodiment is that the natural gas utilities are in a separate room.

Not only does the present disclosure provide an opportunity to manage and alleviate the liability associated with low-producing and shut-in natural gas wells, but also in an embodiment, the cultivation system may use re-purposed (recycled) mobile office trailers as a source of the portable units. Thus, the present disclosure provides an opportunity to resolve another environmental liability by providing a use for unwanted mobile office trailers that may otherwise have ended up in a landfill. In another embodiment, the portable units may be new units, such as ready-made containers. In an embodiment of the portable cultivation system disclosed herein, the portable units are modular in that individual units may be interconnected end-to-end and/or side-to-side with each other. In an embodiment, the portable units are modular containers in which: (i) one or more of the walls can be removed so that the modular containers can be sealably interconnected end- to-end, side-by-side or both; and/or (ii) the ceiling or floor can be removed to enable sealable stacking of the modular containers on top of one another, thereby increasing growing height within the portable cultivation system. In such embodiments, costs may be reduced since the power supply, heat-exchange system and other accessory power-consuming devices (e.g.

water/air purification, exhaust gas treatment system, etc.) can be used with larger units, negating the need for duplicative equipment. Also, stacking of the modular containers will permit increased growing heights, thereby reducing land use and allowing taller plants to be easily grown.

In an embodiment, the modular unit formed by the interconnection of two or more portable units (e.g. modular containers) will contain all of the components of the portable cultivation system, including the power supply, the area for plant and/or fungi production, the artificial light source, the one or more power-consuming devices and the heat-exchange system. In an embodiment, the natural gas utilities (e.g. power supply) and exhaust components are sealably separated from the area for plant and/or fungi production (e.g. in a separate room within the modular unit).

In another embodiment, the natural gas utilities (e.g. power supply) and exhaust components are in or on a different portable unit that is separated from the modular unit containing the area for plant and/or fungi production. As discussed above, this may be advantageous for safety reasons and/or to prevent contamination of food supply, for example.

In an embodiment, the portable cultivation system is a portable vertical farming system, whereby the area for plant and/or fungi production comprises a vertical farming system. In an embodiment, the vertical farming system comprises multi-shelved growing racks and/or an elongate, vertical plant-support apparatus to maximize vertical production space. In another embodiment, the present disclosure relates to a method for supplying power and heating and/or cooling to a cultivation system or workstation, said method comprising: (i) providing the cultivation system or workstation in close proximity to a low-producing or shut-in natural gas well, or a gas-gathering system, gas-gathering plant, or gas-gathering facility that collects natural gas from one or more of the low-producing or shut-in natural gas wells; (ii) interconnecting a cogeneration system comprised within or on the cultivation system or workstation to the low-producing or shut-in natural gas well, or to the gas-gathering system, gas gathering plant, or gas-gathering facility; and (iii) utilizing natural gas from the low-producing or shut-in natural gas well as an energy source to power the cogeneration system to convert the natural gas into power and heating and/or cooling for the cultivation system or workstation.

In an embodiment of the methods disclosed herein, the cultivation system or workstation is a portable cultivation system or a portable workstation. In an embodiment, the portable cultivation system or the portable workstation are comprised of one or more portable units. In another embodiment, the portable units are a skid-mounted portable unit or a portable container.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Further advantages, permutations, and combinations of the disclosure will now appear from the above and from the following detailed description of the various particular

embodiments of the disclosure taken together with the accompanying drawings, each of which are intended to be non-limiting, in which:

Figure l is a perspective view of a portable cultivation system interconnected to a low-producing or shut-in natural gas well;

Figure 2 is a simplified top elevation cross-sectional view of a portable cultivation system interconnected to a low-producing or shut-in gas well and having a cogeneration and plant and/or fungi production area depicted therein;

Figure 3 is a simplified flow diagram of a portable cultivation system interconnected to a low-producing or shut-in natural gas well; and Figure 4 is a simplified flow diagram of a method for supplying power and heating and/or cooling to a cultivation system or workstation.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Natural gas production from many wells has been reduced, suspended, or altogether abandoned by global commodity prices and overabundance of production. In fact, the C.D.

Howe Institute estimates more than 155,000 Alberta energy wells have no economic potential and will eventually require reclamation - at an estimated average cost of $304,448 to reclaim a well, not to mention the additional costs associated with the cleanup and removal of abandoned facilities. This is a significant liability despite many of these wells still having available usable and valuable oil and natural gas.

The present disclosure provides an opportunity for managing and alleviating the liability associated with thousands of low-producing or shut-in gas wells, while providing local, safe, organic plant foods (or other plants or fungi) year round. As used herein, the term“fungi” means mushroom. The portable cultivation system disclosed herein bypasses the traditional energy grid in respect of both electricity and heat, to reduce costs by using existing infrastructure, thereby reducing environmental impact. Thus, if used for food production, major costs associated therewith (utilities, transportation and spoilage) are substantially reduced, while also providing greater access to food.

In an embodiment, the present disclosure relates to a portable cultivation system for production of plants and/or fungi, said cultivation system comprising one or more portable units that individually or in combination comprise: (i) a power supply for connection to a low- producing or shut-in natural gas well, wherein the power supply comprises a cogeneration system that converts natural gas from the low-producing or shut-in natural gas well into electricity, heat and exhaust gas; (ii) an area for plant and/or fungi production; (iii) an artificial light source; (iv) one or more power-consuming devices; and (v) a heat-exchange system for heating the area for plant and/or fungi production by using heat from the exhaust gas, wherein at least one of the artificial light source and the one or more power-consuming devices is supplied electricity from the cogeneration system.

In another embodiment, the present disclosure relates to a method for supplying power and heating and/or cooling to a cultivation system or workstation, said method comprising: (i) providing the cultivation system or workstation in close proximity to a low-producing or shut-in natural gas well, or a gas-gathering system, a gas-gathering plant, or a gas-gathering facility that collects natural gas from one or more of the low-producing or shut-in natural gas wells; (ii) interconnecting a cogeneration system comprised within or on the cultivation system or workstation to the low-producing or shut-in natural gas well, or the gas-gathering system, the gas-gathering plant, or the gas-gathering facility; and (iii) utilizing natural gas from the low- producing or shut-in natural gas well as an energy source to power the cogeneration system to convert the natural gas into power and heating and/or cooling for the cultivation system or workstation.

Reference will now be made in detail to exemplary embodiments of the disclosure, wherein numerals refer to like components, examples of which are illustrated in the

accompanying figures.

Referring to FIG. 1 of the drawings, an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure is shown as a perspective view of a portable cultivation system 10 interconnected to a low-producing or shut-in natural gas well 20.

In FIG. 1 the portable cultivation system 10 is shown interconnected directly to a wellhead of the low-producing or shut-in gas well 20. This is one embodiment of the disclosure in which the portable cultivation system 10 is located in close proximity to the well 20. By “close proximity”, it is generally meant that the portable cultivation system 10 is situated immediately adjacent the well 20 or within 50 meters of the well 20. In an embodiment, such as shown in FIG. 1, the portable cultivation system 10 is immediately adjacent a low-producing or shut-in gas well 20. In any of these embodiments, the power supply of the portable cultivation system 10 may be interconnected directly (e.g. via piping) to the wellhead. In an embodiment, the power supply may be interconnected to the low-producing or shut-in gas well natural gas well 20 directly by one or more pipes of any appropriate diameter, specification and/or compression.

In another embodiment, the portable cultivation system 10 may be connected to the natural gas supply of a low-producing or shut-in natural gas well 20 by way of a gas-gathering system, a gas-gathering plant, or a gas-gathering facility. By“a gas-gathering system, a gas gathering plant, or a gas-gathering facility”, it is meant to refer to any system, structure, apparatus, or building that obtains and/or collects natural gas from one or more of the low- producing or shut-in natural gas wells 20 Without limitation, an example of a gas-gathering system may be a tank that obtains and/or collects natural gas from one or more of the

low-producing or shut-in natural gas wells 20 Without limitation, an example of a gas-gathering plant may be a building containing equipment that obtains and/collects natural gas from one or more of the low-producing or shut-in natural gas wells 20 Without limitation, an example of a gas-gathering facility may be a collection of two or more structures (e.g. buildings, tanks, and/or other apparatus) that together obtain and/or collect natural gas from one or more of the low-producing or shut-in natural gas wells 20 In an embodiment, the plant or facility may contain equipment that processes the raw natural gas to separate out and remove any impurities not required for energy production from the power supply of the portable cultivation system 10. The gas-gathering system, the gas-gathering plant, or the gas-gathering facility may comprise a metered gas outlet for interconnection to the power supply of the portable cultivation system 10.

Irrespective of design and configuration of the gas-gathering system, the gas-gathering plant, or the gas-gathering facility, the natural gas is supplied from one or more of the

low-producing or shut-in natural gas wells 20 In an embodiment, the gas-gathering system, a gas-gathering plant, or a gas-gathering facility obtains natural gas from 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 or more low-producing or shut-in natural gas wells 20 The gas-gathering system may be on site of the low-producing or shut-in natural gas wells 20 or may be in a different location from the low-producing or shut-in natural gas wells 20 In an embodiment, the gas-gathering system, the gas-gathering plant, or the gas-gathering facility comprises or consists or pre-existing

infrastructure for which the portable cultivation system 10 may transported to and connected. As used herein, the term“well site” is intended to refer to either the site of a wellhead of a low-producing or shut-in natural gas well 20 or the site of a gas-gathering system, a

gas-gathering plant, or a gas-gathering facility that obtains and/or collects natural gas from one or more of the low-producing or shut-in natural gas wells 20.

As used herein, a“low-producing” natural gas well is a well that remains active, but its performance (e.g. production capacity) is minimally commercially viable, if at all. Typically, a low-producing natural gas well produces less than 15 barrels of oil equivalent per day (BOED). Notably, recent studies indicate that emissions from low-producing wells are disproportionately high relative to their production and in comparison to wells of greater production capacities.

Thus, low-producing wells are a significant liability.

As used herein, a“shut-in” well is any well that is inactive or for which production has been suspended, temporarily or indefinitely. By“inactive”, it is meant that the well still contains useful oil and/or natural gas, but production activities have stopped due to technical, economic or other reasons. A“suspended” well is one that is not currently producing and has been safely secured (but not dismantled), and may produce again in the future. A shut-in well is also intended to encompass an abandoned natural gas well (i.e. a permanently dismantled well that has been plugged, cut and capped), so long as access to natural gas in the well (e.g. shallow natural gas) is accessible by some manner. The term“orphan” is often used in the context of a shut-in well. As will be understood, an orphan well is one that is inactive, suspended or abandoned, but there is no one responsible for or able to deal with its closure and reclamation. While all shut-in wells represent a significant liability, these orphan wells are particularly burdensome for governments, taxpayers, and landowners.

As used herein, the term“natural gas” has its plain and ordinary meaning in the art and is intended to encompass both natural gas and natural gas liquids. Without limitation, types of natural gas include conventional associated natural gas (found in oil fields), conventional non-associated natural gas (found in natural gas fields), coalbed or coal seam gas (CSG), shale gas, and tight gas/tight sand gas. In an embodiment, the natural gas is a natural gas liquid. In an embodiment, the natural gas is a shallow natural gas meaning that the natural gas has accumulated at a very shallow depth from the earth’s surface. In an embodiment, shallow natural is natural gas that is located at a buried depth of less than 1500 meters. Shallow gas may represent a particularly suitable energy source for the portable cultivation system 10 because it is more cost-efficient to extract from the low-producing or shut-in wells than natural gas located at deeper buried depths or in more difficult geological deposits (e.g. tight sand gas).

The present disclosure provides an opportunity to alleviate the liability associated with low-producing or shut-in natural gas wells 20 by converting the liability into a new asset. As shown in FIG. 1, a portable cultivation system 10 is interconnected to a low-producing or shut-in natural gas well 20 to cogenerate natural gas into market-ready energy and produce plants and/or fungi on well sites.

The cultivation system 10 is portable. This is achieved by all of the components of the system being contained within or on one or more portable units 12. By“portable” it is meant that the cultivation system is transportable (e.g. can be easily transported) from one location to another. The“portable units” are intended to encompass structures capable of having the components of the system either mounted thereon or housed within. In an embodiment, the portable units may be portable by having wheels or alternatively, by being loadable onto another means of transportation, such as for example and without limitation a truck or tractor trailer. In some embodiments, other than disconnection from the low-producing or shut-in natural gas well, the portable units generally do not require any disassembly for transport from one location to the next. An exception is if the portable cultivation system 10 includes more than one portable unit 12, in which case the portable units 12 may need to be separated from one another before transportation. The portable unit 12 may be of any number of designs and embodiments. For example, in an embodiment, the portable unit 12 does not have a ceiling or walls, and some or all of the components of the cultivation system are mounted on the portable unit 12. In an embodiment, the portable unit 12 is a skid, and some or all of the components of the cultivation system may be skid-mounted to form a skid-mounted portable unit. In another embodiment, the portable unit has walls and a ceiling, and is in the form of a portable container. In the exemplary embodiment illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, the portable unit 12 is a portable container. In an embodiment, the portable container is a shipping

container/intermodal container (e.g. a sea-can container), a flatbed truck trailer, a mobile office trailer, or a prefabricated structure. In an embodiment, the portable container may be newly manufactured and purpose-built for the portable cultivation system 10 described herein. In another embodiment, the portable container may be one of the types described herein that is recycled and/or re-purposed to meet the requirements of the portable container of the present disclosure, as described herein. In a particular embodiment, the portable container is a re purposed mobile office trailer or modular building, such as an ATCO ^® -type structure (ATCO Structures & Logistics; Calgary, AB). In an embodiment, the portable container is a construction site office trailer.

In an embodiment, the portable unit 12 is a recycled unit that is re-purposed for use in the portable cultivation system 10. For example, if the recycled unit is a portable container that previously had any windows, these may be removed such that the portable container has no windows, only solid walls. The portable unit 12 illustrated in FIGs. 1 and 2 has no windows, in contrast to, for example, a greenhouse. In further embodiments, the portable unit 12 has floors, walls and ceilings that are insulated to provide constantly controllable internal environmental conditions during extreme external-temperature fluctuations, including but not limited to temperature fluctuations from -50 ^° C to 50 ^° C. In an embodiment, the interior surfaces of the portable unit 12 are composite panels that are washable and sanitizable.

In a further embodiment, portable unit 12 is housed within a structure located in close proximity to the well site. The structure may, for example, be a temporary or permanent building. In an embodiment, the structure may be the gas-gathering system, the gas-gathering plant, or the gas-gathering facility described herein. In another embodiment, the portable unit 12 may be housed within a temporary or prefabricated structure. In any of these embodiments involving a temporary or permanent structure, it may be preferred that the floor is other than a dirt floor which may increase the likelihood of contamination of the plants and/or fungi in the cultivation system (e.g. microbe or insect contamination). The floor of the structure may be a permanent or temporary flooring, or a combination thereof. For example, in an embodiment, the floor may be a cement pad. In other embodiments, the floor may be formed of wood, a composite material, a liquid polymer, or industrial mats (e.g. construction mats, rig mats, or turfs). In an embodiment, a temporary floor (e.g. mats) may be laid over a permanent floor (e.g. cement).

In embodiments where the portable cultivation system is housed within a structure located in close proximity to the well site, the portable units may or may not contain a floor. For example, the portable units may be placed on a temporary floor (e.g. composite floor or mats) within the structure. Preferably, the flooring of a type favourable for plant and/or fungi production (e.g. easily washed, resistant to spreading contamination, etc.).

The portable cultivation system 10 comprises one or more portable units 12 that individually or in combination comprise a power supply, an area for plant and/or fungi production, an artificial light source, and a heat-exchange system. By“individually”, it is meant that each portable unit 12 comprises all of these features: a power supply, an area for plant and/or fungi production, an artificial light source, and a heat-exchange system. By“in combination”, it is meant that by any number of two or more portable units 12, the portable cultivation system 10 as a whole comprises all of these features: a power supply, an area for plant and/or fungi production, an artificial light source, and a heat-exchange system. In an embodiment of the combination, one of the portable units 12 in the combination may still comprise all of the features, while others do not. In an alternative embodiment of the combination, none of the portable units 12 individually comprise all of the features, but as a collection they do together comprise the features (i.e. a power supply, an area for plant and/or fungi production, an artificial light source, and a heat-exchange system).

In an embodiment, the portable unit 12 is a modular unit. For instance, the portable units 12 may be designed and constructed such that individual units may be interconnected end-to-end and/or side-to-side with each other. In an embodiment, the portable units 12 are modular containers in which the ends and/or sides can be removed so that individual modular containers can be sealably interconnected end-to-end and/or side-to-side with each other. The modular containers may also, or alternatively, be designed such that the floors and ceilings can be removed to enable sealable stacking of modular containers on top of one another. By“sealably” or“sealable”, as used herein, it is meant that the modular containers can be attached to one another in a manner that retains the characteristics of the insulated walls at the joints, e.g.

allowing for constantly controllable internal environmental conditions. The interconnected ends, sides, ceilings and floors should not have any leaks or openings to the external environment, unless desired for a particular purpose.

The feature of the portable units 12 being modular provides several significant design applications for the portable cultivation system 10. In an embodiment, each portable unit 12 may be its own self-contained unit, whereby each individual portable unit 12 comprises it own power supply for connection to a low-producing or shut-in natural gas well; area for plant and/or fungi production; an artificial light source; one or more power-consuming devices; and a heat- exchange system. This embodiment may be particularly useful to locate at a low-producing natural gas well since its power and heat requirements are minimal. Also, this embodiment is easily transportable between different low-producing and shut-in natural gas wells since it has on board all of the necessary equipment for plant and/or fungi production. In an embodiment of this design, the gas utilities (e.g. power supply) is contained in a separate room from the area for plant and/or fungi production.

In another embodiment, the area for plant and/or fungi production (with artificial lights) may be contained in one or more separate portable units 12 from at least the natural gas-driven power supply. In a further embodiment, the area for plant and/or fungi production (with artificial lights) may be contained in one or more separate portable units 12 from the power supply, one or more power-consuming devices and heat-exchange system. In this embodiment, it is possible to situate at the well site, one or more portable units 12 comprising the power supply interconnected to the low-producing or shut-in natural gas well 20. These portable units 12 comprising the natural gas-driven power supply could remain separate from other portable units 12 having the area for plant and/or fungi production or alternatively, could be attached together with the portable units 12 having the area for plant and/or fungi production to form a modular unit. In either embodiment, the containers housing the power supply could remain stationary at the well site while one or more plant and/or fungi production units are added, replaced, and/or removed over time. For instance, a plant and/or fungi production unit could be removed from the modular structure when its crop reaches maturity, and a new unit of immature crop added. In another embodiment, one of the portable units 12 could act as a food transport container, whereby the harvest from other portable units 12 is loaded therein and it is removed from the modular structure to transport the harvest.

In another embodiment, the modularity provides the advantage that the number of portable units 12 interconnected at a given well site can be scaled up (added) or down (removed) depending on either food needs or natural gas availability at the well site, for example. If a well site is particularly active, more portable units 12 could be added to the modular structure given that sufficient useable gas supply is present. Alternatively, if a well site slows in capacity, portable units 12 could be removed to the extent that the well can support the remaining plant and/or fungi production units.

In an embodiment, the portable cultivation system 10 comprises one portable unit 12 that comprises a power supply for connection to a low-producing or shut-in natural gas well; an area for plant and/or fungi production; an artificial light source; one or more power-consuming devices; and a heat-exchange system.

In an embodiment, the portable cultivation system 10 comprises 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20 or more portable units 12, wherein one portable container 12 comprises a power supply for connection to a low-producing or shut-in natural gas well; one or more power-consuming devices; and a heat-exchange system, and the remaining portable units 12 comprise plant and/or fungi production units (artificial lights and areas for plant and/or fungi production).

In an embodiment, the portable cultivation system 10 comprises 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20 or more portable units 12, wherein one or more portable units 12 comprise a power supply for connection to a low-producing or shut-in natural gas well; one or more power-consuming devices; and a heat-exchange system, and one or more portable units 12 comprise plant and/or fungi production units (artificial lights and areas for plant and/or fungi production).

In an embodiment, each of the portable units 12 is a portable container having a door 14. In another embodiment, a modular unit formed by interconnection of two or more portable containers has a single door 14 to serve the entire modular structure. In an embodiment, a portable container housing the natural gas power supply has a door 14 and access to the area of plant and/or fungi production is by a separate door 14.

Turning to FIG. 2 there is shown a simplified top elevation view of an exemplary embodiment of the portable cultivation system 10 contained within a single portable unit 12, shown in FIG. 2 as a portable container. As will be appreciated, the structure in FIG. 2 is an exemplary layout of the inside of the portable unit 12 and many other layouts are possible and contemplated. For instance, while the power supply 50, heat exchanger 60 and exhaust gas treatment system 70 are shown within a separate equipment room 30 in FIG. 2, it is possible that one or more or all of these components are not contained within a separate room. Moreover, in an alternate embodiment, one or more of these components may be external to the portable unit 12, mounted to the exterior of a side wall, end wall or ceiling (roof). As in FIG. 1, the portable cultivation system 10 is interconnected to a low-producing or shut-in gas well 20.

The portable cultivation system 10 comprises a power supply 50 for connection to a low-producing or shut-in natural gas well. As used herein, by“for connection” it is meant that the power supply 50, when operational, is connected by appropriate gas delivery means to the low-producing or shut-in natural gas well 20 and the power supply 50 thereby derives its fuel source from that natural gas. The expression“for connection” does not necessarily mean that the power supply 50 is to be connected directly to the wellhead. Rather,“for connection” refers to any delivery means by which natural gas from the low-producing or shut-in natural gas well 20 is supplied to the power supply 50. In an embodiment, the power supply 50 may be interconnected directly to the wellhead (e.g. by way of piping). In another embodiment, the power supply 50 may be interconnected to a gas-gathering system, a gas-gathering plant, or a gas-gathering facility (e.g. via connection to a metered gas outlet). The power supply 50 comprises a cogeneration system that converts natural gas from the low-producing or shut-in natural gas well into electricity, heat, and exhaust gas. In an embodiment, the heat-exchange system 60 is a component of the cogeneration system of the power supply 50.

Cogeneration refers to the combined production and utilization of electricity and heat energy, where the heat energy would normally be wasted, but is instead put to a useful purpose. The waste heat is typically created as a byproduct of another process, such as the use of a heat engine for electricity production. Cogeneration is a more efficient use of fuel because otherwise wasted heat from electricity generation is put to some productive use. The system is even more efficient when the heat is obtained from a fuel source utilized close to where the heat is created and harnessed, such as in the present disclosure where the cultivation systems are portable and may be placed directly on well sites.

In an embodiment, the cogeneration system herein is a combined heat and power (CHP) system that recovers otherwise wasted thermal energy for heating. This is also called combined heat and power district heating. Components of cogeneration systems are known and available in the art including, without limitation, a compressor, an engine (e.g. a combustion engine), a generator, a dehydrator, desulphurization equipment, a transformer, an alternator, a radiator, a boiler, a noise silencer, an exhaust system, a catalytic converter, and a heat-exchanger. Some or all of these components may be used for any given application.

“Cogeneration”, as used herein, is intended to also include trigeneration or combined cooling, heat and power (CCHP). CCHP refers to the simultaneous generation of electricity and useful heating and cooling from the combustion of e.g. natural gas. Trigeneration differs from cogeneration because the waste heat is used for both heating and cooling. In an exemplary embodiment, cooling is provided using an absorption refrigerator. Heating and cooling output may operate concurrently or alternately, depending on need. For example, in the winter when the outside environment is cold, the system will use the waste heat for heating the portable cultivation system 10. In contrast, in the summer when the outside environment is hot, the system will use the waste heat for cooling the portable cultivation system 10. As for concurrent use, rapid temperature fluctuations may require both heating and cooling or it may be desired that different areas of the portable cultivation system 10 be kept at different temperatures, separately requiring heating and cooling at concurrent or different times.

In an embodiment, the power supply 50 comprises a generator that provides electrical power to the portable cultivation system 10. The generator runs on natural gas from the low-producing or shut-in natural gas well 20. In an embodiment, the natural gas is shallow gas from the low-producing or shut-in natural gas wells. Air for the generator may be obtained through an air inlet 52 accessible through an access in a wall, ceiling or floor of the portable cultivation system 10 in embodiments where the generator is inside the portable unit 12. The electricity can be sent directly to the power-consuming devices or can be directed to a switchbox 54 to be selectively connected to the power-consuming devices, including the heat-exchange system 60.

Without limitation, in an embodiment the generator is a combustion turbine generator unit that includes an air compressor, a combustion chamber, and a turbine. The compressor and turbine may be connected on the same shaft to an electrical generator. In the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 2, this would all be within the power supply 50.

In an embodiment, the power supply 50 and cogeneration system of the portable cultivation system 10 utilizes an engine or system that generates less than 1MW of electricity. This may be advantageous in reducing costs and complexity for the end user. For example, without limitation, the system may use a 150kw unit that can be repaired on-site or easily transported to a shop for repair.

For the cogeneration system, the power supply 50 (e.g. generator) is connected to a heat-exchange system 60. The heat-exchange system harnesses the waste heat from the power supply 50 (e.g. generator) and provides this waste heat energy in a useable form (e.g. steam or hot water). The heat-exchange system 60 may be any conventional type. In an embodiment, the heat-exchange system 60 may comprise a waste heat recovery boiler that uses the waste heat to provide heating in the form of steam and/or hot water to the portable cultivation system 10. The exemplary heat-exchange system 60 is depicted in FIG. 2 as a boiler unit 62 for heating hot water with exhaust gas, and circulating the hot water through piping or tubing 64 throughout the portable cultivation system 10. The piping or tubing 64 may be of any suitable length and design to distribute heat as desired in the portable cultivation system 10. In an embodiment, the piping or tubing 64 of the heat-exchange system extends extensively throughout the area for plant and/or fungi production within the portable cultivation system 10 to ensure the plants and/or fungi are maintained at sufficient temperature. Fans and blowers (not shown) may be used to circulate the heated air throughout the portable cultivation system 10 as desired. In an additional embodiment, additional heat may be provided to the portable cultivation system 10 by way of a natural gas heater (not shown) that runs on natural gas from the low-producing or shut-in natural gas well 20.

After passing through the heat-exchange system 60, the exhaust gas may be further used or processed (if so desired), and then the waste exhaust gas expelled from the portable cultivation system via an exhaust outlet 72. An additional use of any remaining hot exhaust gas may include passage through a recuperator (not shown) to pre-heat incoming air before it enters power supply 50 (e.g. generator). An additional use of cool exhaust gas may include processing of the exhaust gas in an exhaust gas treatment system 70 to obtain treated products. The treated products may include, for example, CO ₂ and/or nitrous oxide (NOx). In an embodiment, the exhaust gas treatment system 70 removes useful CO ₂ from the exhaust gas and supplies it to the area of plant and/or fungi production 40, either directly (as depicted in FIG. 2) or via a fertilization system (not shown). The fertilization system may be distributed about the area of plant and/or fungi production to provide more direct exposure of the treated products (e.g. CO ₂ , NOx, etc.) to the roots and/or leaves of growing plants and/or fungi. In an embodiment, the useful CO ₂ is distributed to the plants and/or fungi in a CO ₂ distribution system. In an embodiment, the CO ₂ distribution system is a conduit (e.g. tubing) with openings distributed along its length to allow escape of CO ₂ gas for fertilization of the plants and/or fungi. The quantity of CO ₂ delivered to the plants and/or fungi may regulated by the fertilization system, such as by automated detection of CO ₂ levels in the portable cultivation system 10.

As shown in FIG. 2, the portable cultivation system comprises an area for plant and/or fungi production 40. By“plant and/or fungi production” or“production of plants and/or fungi”, it is meant the growth and/or cultivation of plants and/or fungi for any purpose whatsoever (e.g. horticulture). For example, and without limitation, in an embodiment the production of plants and/or fungi is for foodstuffs for use in human sustenance. In another embodiment for example, and without limitation, the production of plants and/or fungi is for medicinal or recreational uses. The plants grown and cultivated in the portable cultivation system 10 may be of any type, including without limitation vegetables, fruits, roots, grains, legumes, vine crops, nuts, evergreens, and cannabis. In an embodiment, the plants are taller annual crops, including without limitation tomatoes, cucumbers, legumes, and vine crops. The fungi grown and cultivated in the portable cultivation system 10 include mushrooms of any type. In an embodiment, the mushrooms include without limitation portobello, cremini, button, oyster, shiitake, wood ear, enoki, and straw mushrooms.

The area for plant and/or fungi production 40 is any area within the portable units 12 that will be used for plant and/or fungi growth (e.g. seeding and maturation), harvesting, processing and/or storage. The area for plant and/or fungi production contains conventional facilities and equipment for growing, harvesting, processing, and/or storing plants and/or fungi. For example, and without limitation, this includes passive equipment such as plant stands or racks 42, plant pots, and root support systems, as well as active power-consuming equipment such as ventilating fans, air circulation fans, water supply equipment, artificial lighting 44, clocks, and timers. Plant racks 42 and artificial lights 44 are shown generally in FIG. 2 to give a sense of the area for plant and/or fungi production, but the remaining equipment and power-consuming devices are not shown, so as not to obscure the other features.

In the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 2, a large area of the portable unit 12 is devoted to plant and/or fungi production 40, while the power supply 50 (including cogeneration equipment) occupy a separate area. As should be clear from the disclosure herein, it is contemplated that the portable cultivation system 10 is modular in that individual portable units

12 can be sealably attached to one another ( i.e . side-by-side, end-to-end, and/or stacked). In such modular embodiments, it is possible for entire portable units 12 to be devoted to plant and/or fungi production. Thus, in an embodiment, the area for plant and/or fungi production 40 may be larger than a single portable unit when multiple portable units are combined. In essence, the area for plant and/or fungi production 40 may be as large or as small as desired, taking into account the availability of natural gas from the low-producing or shut-in gas well 20.

In an embodiment, the portable cultivation system 10 contains a vertical farm. In such embodiments, some or all of the area for plant and/or fungi production 40 contains a vertical farming system. For example and without limitation, the vertical farming system may include shelves or racks on which plants and/or fungi may be vertically stacked in layers (e.g. multi- shelved growing racks) and/or other vertically inclined surfaces on which plants and/or fungi may be grown at different height levels from the floor (e.g. an elongate, vertical plant-support apparatus). Many vertical farming shelves, racks, structures or surfaces are commercially available. Without limitation, in an embodiment, ZIPGROW ^® towers (ZipGrow, Cornwall, ON, Canada) may be used in the vertical farming system.

In an embodiment of the portable cultivation system 10, a portion of the area for plant and/or fungi production 40 may be used for vertical farming and another portion of the area for plant and/or fungi production 40 may be used for non-vertical farming. In either configuration (vertical or not), techniques such as hydroponics and aeroponics may be used to grow plants and/or fungi.

The portable cultivation system 10 comprises artificial lights 44. Although the artificial lights 44 may be located throughout the portable cultivation system 10, generally the artificial lights 44 are concentrated or focused upon areas of plant and/or fungi production 40. In an embodiment, the artificial lights 44 are positioned on the frame, walls and/or ceiling of the portable units 12, particularly in areas of plant and/or fungi production. For example and without limitation, in FIG. 2 the artificial lights are mounted to the ceiling. In an embodiment, the artificial lights 44 are positioned on passive equipment for plant and/or fungi growth (e.g. plant stands or racks). In an embodiment, the artificial lights 44 are suspended on hangers from the frame, walls, ceilings and/or passive equipment. In the areas of plant and/or fungi production, the artificial lights 44 may be any type of light that supports the growth of plants and/or fungi.

For example and without limitation, the artificial lights 44 may be fluorescent lights (e.g.

fluorescent tubes or compact fluorescent lights (CFLs)), high-pressure sodium (HPS) lights, or light-emitting diodes (LED) lights. The type of light used may depend on the type of plants and/or fungi to be grown. In areas of the portable cultivation system that are not used for plant and/or fungi growth, any type of artificial light may be used, as desired.

In addition to the artificial lights 44, the portable cultivation system 10 comprises one or more other power-consuming devices. The power-consuming devices may include any number of devices and equipment that are useful in the production of plants and/or fungi. In an embodiment, one of the power-consuming devices may include an exhaust gas treatment system 70. Other embodiments of power-consuming devices include, without limitation, one or more of temperature control equipment (e.g. heaters or air conditioners), temperature monitoring equipment, water processing equipment, water circulation equipment, water purification equipment, water recycling equipment, water recapture equipment, air processing equipment, air circulation equipment, air purification equipment, air recycling equipment, plant rotation equipment, plant harvesting equipment, and plant seeding equipment. Other embodiments may include systems that regulate the function of any of the aforementioned equipment, such as a computerized control system.

Although a primary source of power (electricity) for the portable cultivation system 10 is derived from the power supply 50, an embodiment of the portable cultivation system 10 may comprise additional sources of electricity. For example, and without limitation, the portable cultivation system 10 may additionally comprise a photovoltaic system or a solar power system. Components of such systems are known and available in the art, including without limitation, a solar array or solar panels, power-conditioning equipment, equipment for mounting the solar array, solar panels or other accessory components, DC to AC power converters (inverters), an energy storage device (e.g. batteries), and electrical wiring and interconnections. Any other supplemental power supply may also be used (e.g. wind turbine or hydropower). In an embodiment, any supplemental power supply must be“off-grid” power. In an embodiment, any supplemental power supply must be naturally available at the well site where the portable cultivation system 10 is located. Turning to FIG. 3, there is depicted a simplified flow chart illustrating an exemplary embodiment of the portable cultivation system 10. As with the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 2, it will be appreciated that the cogeneration system illustrated in FIG. 3 is exemplary, and a variety of different configurations are possible and contemplated.

As in FIGs. 1 and 2, a power supply 50 is interconnected to a low-producing or shut-in gas well 20. As previously described herein, the power supply 50 may be interconnected directly (e.g. by way of piping) to the wellhead of the gas well 20 or may be, for example, interconnected by way of a gas-gathering system, a gas-gathering plant, or a gas-gathering facility. In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 3, the power supply 50 obtains air 302 via air inlet 52, which may be accessible through an access in a wall, ceiling or floor of the portable cultivation system 10.

Of course, in embodiments where the power supply 50 is located outside, the air inlet 52 may not be required.

As illustrated in FIG. 3, the power supply 50 comprises a cogeneration system that converts natural gas from the low-producing or shut-in natural gas well 20 into electricity 304 and waste heat 306. In the embodiment of FIG. 3, the cogeneration system is a CHP system that recovers otherwise wasted thermal energy for heating. However, as disclosed herein, the cogeneration system may also be a trigeneration or CCHP system.

In the illustrated embodiment, the electricity 304 generated by the power supply 50 is used to power artificial lights 44 and heat exchange system 60 in order to supply light and heat to at least the area of plant and/or fungi production 40, respectively. The artificial lights 44 and heat exchange system 60 may be, and without limitation, any of the types previously described herein. While not illustrated in FIG. 3, the electricity 304 may also be used to power the exhaust gas treatment system 70. As well, the electricity 304 may also be directed to a switch box 54 (not shown) to be selectively connected to a variety of power-consuming devices, including the artificial lights 44 and the heat exchange system 60.

Waste heat 306 is harnessed by the heat exchange system 60 from the power supply 50 in order to provide useable heat energy, illustrated as useable heat 314 in FIG. 3. The waste heat 306 may be delivered to the heat exchange system 60, for example, by way of exhaust gas, and the useable heat 314 may be in the form of steam or hot water, or a different form, depending on the type of heat exchange system 60 used. The useable heat 314 may then be distributed as desired throughout the portable cultivation system 10 (not shown) and to the area of plant and/or fungi production 40 by any suitable means, such as the piping or tubing 64 illustrated in FIG. 2 and discussed herein.

While harnessing the waste heat 306, the heat exchange system 60 may produce exhaust gas 308. The exhaust gas 308 may be expelled directly (not shown) from the portable cultivation system 10 via exhaust outlet 72, sent to a recuperator (not shown), or further processed by exhaust gas treatment system 70, as illustrated in FIG. 3. As previously described herein, the exhaust gas treatment system 70 uses exhaust gas 308 to obtain treated products that may include, for example, CO ₂ and/or nitrous oxide (NOx). In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 3, the exhaust gas treatment system 70 removes useful CO ₂ from the exhaust gas and supplies it to the area of plant and/or fungi production 40. Again, the CO ₂ may then be distributed directly to the area of plant and/or fungi production 40 or via a fertilization system (not shown). Waste gas 316 produced by the exhaust gas treatment system 70 may then be expelled from the portable cultivation system 10 via exhaust outlet 72.

The portable cultivation system 10 provides several advantages. For one, the system allows for continuous production of food (e.g. year round) in environments that could not normally support continuous production of plants and/or fungi (e.g. the hostile Canadian climate). For another, the system is capable of using recycled units that are re-purposed as transportable containers, for use as portable units 12 as described herein. For another, the system transforms the liability of low-producing or shut-in natural gas wells into assets. For example, in Alberta, a number of low-producing or shut-in natural gas wells are located on farms or ranches. The portable cultivation system 10 may thus also be used to diversify the income of ranchers, who have low-producing or shut-in natural gas wells on their property by providing the opportunity to also continuously produce plants and/or fungi. As well, inactive, suspended, or abandoned wells that cost millions of dollars to properly close and reclaim, can be used to cogenerate usable natural gas into market-ready energy. In this regard, the present application is more broadly applicable than a portable cultivation system 10 alone.

In another aspect, the present disclosure relates to a method for supplying power and heating and/or cooling to a cultivation system or workstation, said method comprising: (i) providing the cultivation system or workstation in close proximity to a low-producing or shut-in natural gas well, or a gas-gathering system, a gas-gathering plant, or a gas-gathering facility that collects natural gas from one or more of the low-producing or shut-in natural gas wells; (ii) interconnecting a cogeneration system comprised within or on the cultivation system or workstation to the low-producing or shut-in natural gas well, or to the gas-gathering system, a gas-gathering plant, or a gas-gathering facility; and (iii) utilizing natural gas from the low- producing or shut-in natural gas well as an energy source to power the cogeneration system to convert the natural gas into power and heating and/or cooling for the cultivation system or workstation.

Referring now to FIG. 4, there is illustrated a simplified flow diagram of an exemplary embodiment of a method for supplying power and heating and/or cooling to a cultivation system or workstation.

The method illustrated in FIG. 4 involves providing a cultivation system or a workstation in close proximity to a low-producing or shut-in natural gas well (400). The“cultivation system” is intended to encompass any structure having equipment to cogenerate natural gas into usable energy, as well as equipment that uses this energy for the production of plants and/or fungi. The cultivation system may include the same features of the portable cultivation system 10 previously described herein. By“workstation”, it is meant to encompass any structure for which power and heating and/or cooling are required. The workstation may contain many of the same systems of the portable cultivation system 10 disclosed herein, absent the equipment required for the production of plants and/or fungi. In a particular embodiment, the cultivation system and/or the workstation are portable in the same manner of the portable cultivation system 10 - i.e. are easily transportable to different locations. In an embodiment, the cultivation system and/or the workstation are transported to the low-producing or shut-in natural gas well or a gas-gathering system, a gas-gathering plant, or a gas-gathering facility, and are readily movable between well sites.

As described for the portable cultivation system, the cultivation system and workstation may be modular in that individual units may be interconnected end-to-end and/or side-to-side with each other. In a particular embodiment, the cultivation system and workstation may be modular in that: (i) one or more of the walls can be removed so that the units can be sealably interconnected end-to-end, side-by-side or both; and/or (ii) the ceiling or floor can be removed to enable sealable stacking of the units on top of one another. In such embodiments, costs may be reduced since the power supply, heat-exchange system and other accessory power-consuming devices (e.g. water/air purification, exhaust gas treatment system, etc.) can be used with larger structures, negating the need for duplicative equipment. Also, stacking of the units will reduce land use.

By“close proximity”, it is generally meant that the cultivation system or workstation is situated immediately adjacent the well site or within 50 meters of the well site. Again, as used herein,“well site” refers to either the site of a wellhead of a low-producing or shut-in natural gas well or the site of a gas-gathering system, a gas-gathering plant, or a gas-gathering facility that obtains and/or collects natural gas from one or more of the low-producing or shut-in natural gas wells 20. In an exemplary embodiment, the cultivation system or the workstation is portable, and providing the cultivation system or workstation to the well site may involve transporting the cultivation system or workstation on a truck or trailer, or alternatively, the cultivation system or the workstation may be on wheels.

The method also involves interconnecting a cogeneration system comprised within or on the cultivation system or the workstation to the low-producing or shut-in natural gas well (402). The cogeneration system is as described earlier herein in relation to the portable cultivation system 10. In particular, in the disclosed methods the cultivation system or workstation comprises a power supply for connection to a low-producing or shut-in natural gas well. The power supply comprises a cogeneration system that converts natural gas from the low-producing or shut-in natural gas well into electricity, heat and exhaust gas. In an embodiment, the heat- exchange system is a component of the cogeneration system of the power supply.

The method additionally involves utilizing natural gas from the low-producing or shut-in natural gas well as an energy source to power the cogeneration system to convert the natural gas into power and heat (404). Systems that may be used to utilize the natural gas have been described herein in relation to the portable cultivation system 10, including exemplary embodiments of the power supply and downstream functionalities including the heat-exchange system, exhaust gas treatment system, artificial light source and one or more power-consuming devices. In respect of the one or more power-consuming devices, these may be different in respect of a workstation depending on the purpose of the workstation. For example, in an embodiment, the workstation may be a machine shop and the one or more power-consuming devices may include machine tools used in relation thereto. Irrespective of the downstream application, the methods involve use natural gas from the low-producing or shut-in natural gas well as an energy source to obtain electricity and heat by cogeneration. As discussed herein, cogeneration includes trigeneration and therefore the described methods may also be used for cooling.

All publications and patent applications cited in this specification are herein incorporated by reference as if each individual publication or patent application were specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference. The citation of any publication is for its disclosure prior to the filing date and should not be construed as an admission that the present disclosure is not entitled to antedate such publication by virtue of prior invention.

Although the foregoing disclosure has been described in some detail by way of illustration and example for purposes of clarity of understanding, it is readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art in light of the teachings of this disclosure that certain changes and modifications may be made thereto without departing from the spirit or scope of the appended claims. It must be noted that as used in this specification and the appended claims, the singular forms“a”,“an”, and“the” include plural reference unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Unless defined otherwise all technical terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood to one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure belongs.

The phrase“and/or”, as used herein in the specification and in the claims, should be understood to mean“either or both” of the elements so conjoined, i.e., elements that are conjunctively present in some cases and disjunctively present in other cases. Multiple elements listed with“and/or” should be construed in the same fashion, i.e.,“one or more” of the elements so conjoined. Other elements may optionally be present other than the elements specifically identified by the“and/or” clause, whether related or unrelated to those elements specifically identified. Thus, as a non-limiting example, a reference to“A and/or B”, when used in conjunction with open-ended language such as“comprising” can refer, in one embodiment, to A only (optionally including elements other than B); in another embodiment, to B only (optionally including elements other than A); in yet another embodiment, to both A and B (optionally including other elements); etc.

As used herein in the specification and in the claims,“or” should be understood to encompass the same meaning as "and/or" as defined above. For example, when separating items in a list,“or” or“and/or” shall be interpreted as being inclusive, i.e., the inclusion of at least one, but also including more than one, of a number or list of elements, and, optionally, additional unlisted items.

As used herein, whether in the specification or the appended claims, the transitional terms “comprising”,“including”,“having”,“containing� ��,“involving”, and the like are to be understood as being inclusive or open-ended (i.e., to mean including but not limited to), and they do not exclude unrecited elements, materials or method steps. Only the transitional phrases“consisting of’ and“consisting essentially of’, respectively, are closed or semi-closed transitional phrases with respect to claims and exemplary embodiments herein. The transitional phrase“consisting of’ excludes any element, step, or ingredient which is not specifically recited. The transitional phrase“consisting essentially of’ limits the scope to the specified elements, materials or steps and to those that do not materially affect the basic characteristic(s) of the feature disclosed and/or claimed herein.