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Title:
ZERO CARBON DIOXIDE AND HEAT EMISSION INTEGRATED SYSTEM OF POWER GENERATION FROM NATURAL/RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES, ORGANIC WASTE RECLAMATION AND COMMODITIES PRODUCTION AND METHOD OF CONDUCTION
Document Type and Number:
WIPO Patent Application WO/2012/131414
Kind Code:
A1
Abstract:
Front line energy conversion from natural and renewable sources, energy storage and photo-bioreactor technologies conjugate with traditional and even ancient techniques, embodied in respective functional modules that interact synergically towards accomplishment of the objective of practically nullifying emissions of carbon dioxide, heat and solid wastes, and at the same time producing valuable commercial commodities. The integrated system and method of conducting it for power generation from natural/renewable energy sources, organic waste reclamation and commodities production is eminently ecologic and meets the needs of rural communities.

Inventors:
KAMPANATSANYAKORN KRISADA (TH)
HOLASUT SURADIT (TH)
Application Number:
PCT/IB2011/000655
Publication Date:
October 04, 2012
Filing Date:
March 28, 2011
Export Citation:
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Assignee:
KAMPANATSANYAKORN KRISADA (TH)
HOLASUT SURADIT (TH)
International Classes:
C10G3/00
Foreign References:
US20080280338A12008-11-13
IB2011000181W2011-02-04
IB2010001651W2010-06-29
IB2010002004W2010-08-13
IB2010002231W2010-09-07
IB2010002499W2010-10-01
Other References:
ANONYMOUS: "ACRRES partners Wageningen UR en Eneco starten bouw 'EnergieRijk'", WAGENINGEN UR, 17 June 2009 (2009-06-17), XP002646502, Retrieved from the Internet [retrieved on 20110629]
MICHAEL JAMISON: "'Green' plan takes advantage of slime to generate energy", 20 April 2010 (2010-04-20), XP002646503, Retrieved from the Internet [retrieved on 20110629]
ANONYMOUS: "Bouwjournaal Energierijk", ACCRESS, 17 December 2009 (2009-12-17), XP055001749, Retrieved from the Internet [retrieved on 20110630]
ANN C. WILKIE: "Algae and other co-products from digesters: opportunities and challenges", 16 February 2011 (2011-02-16), XP055001751, Retrieved from the Internet [retrieved on 20110630]
THOMAS VAN DE SANDT: "Algenkweek en anaërobe waterzuivering ideale combinatie", TECHNISCH WEEKBLAD, 21 March 2009 (2009-03-21), pages 5, XP002646506
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Claims:
CLAIMS

1. A method of conducting a null carbon dioxide and heat emissions integrated system for power generation from renewable energy source, organic waste reclamation and commodities production, comprising the steps of:

a) converting solar energy to heat accumulating it in a stored volume of heated working fluid;

b) converting solar energy into electrical energy with photovoltaic devices; c) storing electrical energy produced by said photovoltaic devices in a battery; d) farming eukaryotic algae in a closed loop circulating growth liquor circuit having a carbon dioxide feed intake port and a wet algae biomass harvest discharge port;

e) extracting an oil and/or a protein containing substance from said discharged wet algae biomass harvest, producing liquid biofuel and/or a protein containing substance adapted for human or animal consumption and a non ligneous organic residue;

f) anaerobically digesting said non ligneous organic residue together with other organic wastes producing biogas and slimes;

g) processing said slimes for converting them in liquid and dry fertilizers; h) occasionally operating a ligneous waste kiln for producing carbon dioxide, charcoal and wood vinegar;

i) collecting carbon dioxide containing hot exhausts from said kiln when in operation, recovering heat from said hot exhausts, storing the cooled exhausts for conveying them to said feed intake port of the eukaryotic algae farming unit at a continuous rate or intermittently, matching the carbon dioxide absorption rate of the biomass of growing algae in said circulating growth liquor;

j) feeding mineral nutrients into said closed loop circulating growth liquor of eukaryotic algae either by continuous infusion or intermittently;

k) maintaining an optimal growth liquor temperature by controlled transfer of heat from said working fluid; 1) converting DC electrical power produced by said photovoltaic devices and/or stored in said battery to AC electrical power for supplying it during outings of other generators.

2. The method of claim 11, further comprising the step of generating electrical power using a combustion engine or turbine power burning said biogas and collecting carbon dioxide containing hot exhausts, recovering heat from said hot exhausts, storing the cooled exhausts for conveying them to said feed intake port of the eukaryotic algae farming unit at a continuous rate or intermittently, matching the carbon dioxide absorption rate of the biomass of growing algae in said circulating growth liquor.

3. The method of any of the preceding claims, wherein compressed air is continuously injected in the circulating algae growth liquor for gas lifting it in circulation and to which said collected and stored cooled carbon dioxide containing exhausts are admixed at a continuous rate or periodically, in a volumetric percentage to the air being injected adapted to satisfy the carbon feed requirement to the growing algae while maintaining carbon dioxide concentration in an oxygen enriched gas-lifting mixture that is vented to atmosphere below the normal (standard) concentration in the atmosphere.

4. The method of claim 11, further comprising the step of a separating methane contained in said biogas from a carbon dioxide rich gas residue and conveying said residue to storage for feeding carbon dioxide into the circulating growth liquor.

5. The method of any of the preceding claims, wherein the species of algae being farmed is Chlorella exploited for producing bio fuel. 6. The method of any of claims 1 to 4, wherein the species of algae being farmed is Spirulina exploited for producing protein and carbohydrate containing substance.

7. A null carbon dioxide and heat emissions system for power generation from renewable energy source, organic waste reclamation and commodities production, comprising:

a) a thermal solar energy converter coupled to a heat accumulator using a working fluid;

b) a photovoltaic solar energy generator;

c) an electrical energy storage battery;

d) a closed loop circulating growth liquor, eukaryotic algae farming unit having a carbon dioxide feed intake port and a wet algae biomass harvest discharge port;

e) an oil and/or protein extractor from said discharged wet algae biomass harvest producing liquid biofuel and/or a protein containing substance adapted for human or animal consumption and an organic residue;

f) a non ligneous organic waste digester adapted to digest also said organic residue producing biogas and slimes;

g) a processer of said slimes converting them in liquid and dry fertilizers;

h) an occasionally operated ligneous waste kiln producing carbon dioxide, charcoal and wood vinegar;

i) carbon dioxide containing hot exhausts collection means from said kiln when in operation, heat recovery means from said hot exhausts, storage means of cooled exhausts and conveying means of cooled carbon dioxide containing exhausts to said feed intake port of the eukaryotic algae farming unit;

j) a system water intake;

k) a system oxygen intake;

1) an intake of mineral nutrients for said closed loop eukaryotic algae farming unit;

m) heat transfer means from said heat accumulator to the circulating algae growth liquor of said algae farming unit for maintaining an optimal growth liquor temperature;

n) an inverter of a DC input from said photovoltaic generator and from said storage battery for electrical power make-up supply during electromechanical generators outings.

8. The integrated system of claim 7, further comprising a low temperature Rankine cycle turbine power generator adapted to exploit low enthalpy heat stored in said accumulator.

9. The integrated system of claim 7, further comprising a combustion engine or turbine power generator for burning said biogas and said hot exhausts collection means from said occasionally operated kiln, heat recovery means and storage means of cooled carbon dioxide containing exhausts being adapted to collect exhausts and heat emissions from said combustion engine or turbine power generator.

10. The integrated system of any of claims 7 to 9, wherein said oxygen intake source is atmospheric air, part of which continuously injected in the circulating algae growth liquor for gas lifting it in circulation and to which said collected and stored cooled carbon dioxide containing exhausts are admixed periodically in a volumetric percentage to the air being injected to satisfy the carbon feed requirement to the growing algae while maintaining carbon dioxide concentration in an oxygen enriched gas-lifting mixture vented to atmosphere below the normal (standard) concentration in the atmosphere, and another part enters combustion chambers of whichever is in operation of said kiln and/or engines or turbines.

11. The integrated system of claim 7, wherein said electrical energy storage battery is a redox flow battery.

12. The integrated system of claim 7, wherein said electrical energy storage battery is an all-vanadium redox flow battery.

13. The integrated system of claim 7, wherein the system further comprises one or more wind turbine generators.

14. The integrated system of claim 7, further comprising a separator of methane contained in said biogas from a carbon dioxide rich gas residue and means for conveying said residue to said storage means of cooled exhausts.

15. The integrated system of claim 14, wherein said separator is a microporous gas permeable membrane separator.

16. The integrated system of claim 14, wherein said separator comprises an absorption in an amine-based chemical compound.

Description:
"ZERO CARBON DIOXIDE AND HEAT EMISSION INTEGRATED SYSTEM OF POWER GENERATION FROM NATURAL/RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES, ORGANIC WASTE RECLAMATION AND COMMODITIES PRODUCTION AND METHOD OF CONDUCTION" TECHNOLOGICAL FIELD

This disclosure relates generally to multi-functional power stations and in particular to power stations exploiting different renewable energy sources associated to energy storage resources, adapted for operability with or without connection to a public power distribution grid, with null or minimal emissions of carbon dioxide, heat and other pollutants in the environment.

BACKGROUND

The unrelenting anthropization of land, accompanying the demographical increase, poses formidable challenges.

It appears no longer deferrable a re-thinking of the way exploitation of natural resources and release of pollutants in the environment is conducted.

Exploitation of renewable energy sources may be part of the solution but it must be spliced to abatement practically to zero of emissions and dispersions of pollutants and to reclamation of organic wastes.

Indeed, effective geothermic, thermal and photovoltaic solar and wind energy converters have been devised and developed into efficient systems. The same can be said for energy storage systems capable of economically storing large amounts of energy. Combustion of biomass or extracts therefrom (biofuel) is another important and relatively cheap form of energy conversion from a renewable source, however it produces carbon dioxide that is released in the atmosphere. Greenhouse gas re-absorbing, solar light driven photo-bioreactors have been developed for producing microalgae from which biofuel in the form of an oily extract. However, the oil extraction process leaves large quantities of organic residues to be disposed of.

In rural settings not reached by public utility networks and often far from treatment plants, disposal of organic wastes may become problematic and progressively degrade soil and underground water quality. Accumulation of ligneous wastes generated by farming activities and forest exploitation, in large part in form of seasonal pruning and cropping residues, may also become a problem, often resolved by burning them in open air that is an economical as much as wasteful and polluting practice. Even the best of intention must confront itself with the hard facts of economics and this affects most the disposal of low value by-products and wastes. There is a clear need for a scalable integrated multifunctional system of power generation from renewable sources, biofuel production, organic waste reclamation and associated production of valuable commodities, having a practically null emission of heat, pollutants and greenhouse-effect gases.

SUMMARY

Such an ambitious objective is effectively reached, according to the results of the intense studies, modeling and prototyping verifications conducted by the applicants, with a novel method of conducting an integrated system that conjugate front line energy conversion, energy storage and photo-bioreactor technologies with conventional and even ancient techniques, embodied in respective functional modules that interact synergically towards accomplishment of the objective of practically nullifying emissions of carbon dioxide, heat and solid wastes, and at the same time producing valuable commercial commodities. Basically, the novel method of the applicants of ensuring reliable conduction of a zero carbon dioxide and heat emissions integrated system for power generation from natural/renewable energy source, organic waste reclamation and commodities production of this disclosure, comprises the steps of: converting solar energy to heat accumulating it in a stored volume of heated working fluid;

converting solar energy into electrical energy with photovoltaic devices; storing electrical energy produced by said photovoltaic devices in a battery; farming eukaryotic algae in a growth liquor continuously circulated in a circuit of a photo-bioreactor having a carbon dioxide feed intake port and a wet algae biomass harvest discharge port;

extracting an oil and/or a protein containing substance from said discharged wet algae biomass harvest, adapted to the production of liquid biofuel and/or a protein containing substance adapted for human or animal consumption and a non ligneous organic residue;

anaerobically digesting said non ligneous organic residue together with other organic wastes producing biogas and slimes;

processing said slimes for converting them in liquid and dry fertilizers; occasionally operating a ligneous waste kiln for producing carbon dioxide, charcoal and wood vinegar;

collecting carbon dioxide containing hot exhausts from said kiln when in operation, recovering heat from said hot exhausts, storing the cooled exhausts for conveying them to said feed intake port of the eukaryotic algae farming unit at a continuous rate or intermittently, matching the carbon dioxide absorption rate of the biomass of growing algae in said circulating growth liquor;

feeding mineral nutrients into said closed loop circulating growth liquor of eukaryotic algae either by continuous infusion or intermittently;

depending on climate and/or weather conditions, maintaining an optimal growth liquor temperature by controlled transfer of heat from said working fluid; and

converting DC electrical power produced by said photovoltaic devices and/or stored in said battery to AC electrical power for supplying it during outings of other generators. Preferably, the photo-bioreactor used for algae farming is a continuous mode operated subsystem as the one disclosed in the prior international patent application PCT/TO2011/000181, filed on 4 February 2011, of the same applicants. The whole content of the above-identified prior patent application is intended to be herein incorporated by express reference. The photo-bioreactor described in such prior application has the ability of being operated in a continuous mode for an indefinite long period of time, allowing a substantially continuous harvest of grown algae and a similarly uninterrupted absorption of carbon dioxide, sufficient to ensure a zero emission and even a negative balance in consideration of the fact that the photo-bioreactor may use compressed air for gas-lifting the growth liquor in a continuous circulation, eventually absorbing also part of the carbon dioxide content of the air besides the deliberately collected and fed carbon dioxide rich exhausts.

The algae biomass in the circulating growth liquor is sufficiently large to ensure a metabolic rate of absorption/conversion of carbon dioxide produced by the occasionally operated kiln used for transforming ligneous wastes into sellable products and which is eventually fed into the growth liquor adapted to lower the carbon dioxide content in a gas mixture that is finally vented to the atmosphere after bubbling through the growth liquor, below the percentage naturally present in the air besides being enriched of the oxygen generated by the growing algae.

Other carbon dioxide containing gaseous exhausts that may be generated within the integrated system for power generation from natural/renewable energy source, organic waste reclamation and commodities production, for example by optional combustion engine or turbine driven power generators burning on site the biogas produced by the digester of the algae residues and other non ligneous organic wastes, are similarly collected, stored and fed into the growth liquor for nullifying carbon dioxide emission while reclaiming organic wastes that are thus transformed into valuable commodities.

According to an alternative embodiment, the biogas typically composed mainly of methane and carbon dioxide produced by the digester instead of being directly burned on site as fuel of optionally installed combustion or turbine driven electrical power generators, is economically exploited by separating from it the methane content that as such may be sold at a significantly enhanced market price. Separation of methane from the raw biogas produced by the digester may be performed with any of the available techniques, for example by using membrane separators or chemical stripping of carbon dioxide from the biogas using amines (DMA, DMEA), conducted in a absorption tower. The carbon dioxide is recovered by heating the amines collected at the bottom of the absorption tower operated in counter-current mode, collected, stored and eventually fed to the photo-bioreactor circuit used for growing algae, while the liquid amines are recycled at the top of the tower, from a vent of which the concentrated methane gas is conveyed to a bottling unit or injected in a distribution pipeline.

These sources of carbon dioxide may be considered ancillary to the source represented by the kiln used for reclaiming ligneous wastes, in consideration of the fact that typically the kiln may be operated in a discontinuous mode and only when such a kind of ligneous wastes are generated in sufficient amounts by recurrent and seasonal pruning and cropping activities in rural community settings. Carbon dioxide storage simplifies system management, reducing recurrence of temporary over-generation of carbon dioxide within the integrated system beyond the rate of consumption by the algae farming plant and consequent eventual stoppage of combustion engines and turbines in order to prevent emission of carbon dioxide beyond balance with the theoretical carbon dioxide amount that would be emitted by the combustion of the produced biogas and biofuel, whether burned on site or delivered to customers.

The species of micro algae to grow is chosen in consideration of the intended economical exploitation of the harvest. For example, Chlorella is often chosen because of its comparably high content of extractable oil, particularly useful as biofuel for common internal combustion engines. Spirulina is often chosen because of its comparably high content of extractable proteins and carbohydrate adapted for human and animal nutrition.

Reliability of the integrated system in ensuring uninterrupted availability of electrical power to the served community not reached by a public distribution grid rests on a concourse of features of the integrated system of the applicants. Besides the different energy conversion sub-systems exploited for electrical power generation (photovoltaic, biofuel, biogas) to which, depending on climate and geographical location, a wind turbine power generator may be associated, a specific thermal solar converter enhances the enthalpy of accumulated heat, part of which is recovered from hot exhausts and cooling circuits of combustion engines, turbines and machinery for abating heat emissions within integrated system. The solar heat input permits to reach significantly high temperatures of the fluid used for storing heat, normally water. This permits to relay on a Rankine cycle electrical power generator that cooperates with the electrical storage battery and combustion engine or turbine driven generators burning stocked reserves of biofuel or biogas in meeting peak power demand or emergency power needs in case of maintenance or accidental outings of normally tapped electrical energy generators and storage battery.

Preferably the electrical energy storage battery is a redox flow battery and most preferably an all- vanadium redox flow battery as the one disclosed in the above cited and herein incorporated description.

The invention claimed is clearly defined in the annexed claims, the content of which is intended to form part of this description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Figure 1 is a general scheme of a basic embodiment of this disclosure. Figure 2 is a general scheme of another embodiment of the integrated system, including a methane separating stage from other components of the produced biogas. Figure 3 is a general scheme of yet another embodiment of the integrated system of this disclosure wherein the algae species grown is intended for the production of a protein and carbohydrate rich substance adapted to human or animal consumption. DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The drawings and the ensuing description refer to embodiments of the invention herein illustrated and described for facilitating comprehension and providing examples both of practicing the integrated system and method of conduction of this disclosure. Fig. 1 is a general scheme of a basic embodiment of the integrated system. The symbolic representation of the various functional units that compose the integrated system and the labels of inlets and outlets and of the other functional units of the integrated system are deemed to be clearly intelligible by the reader without the aid of any numerical indicators. The embodiment illustrated in Fig. 1, reflects a design choice of growing a species of algae (commonly so called microalgae) particularly rich in oily substance and thus adapted to be exploited for extracting oil from the d-watered biomass of algae that is continuously harvested through a settling trough provided with a discharge valve of settled wet algae biomass. A particularly suitable photo- bioreactor of these characteristics is disclosed and described in great detail in the prior international patent application PCT/IB2011/000181, filed on 4 February 2011, by the same applicants, the description and drawings of which are herein incorporated by express reference.

Oil extraction may be conducted by centrifuging the wet biomass as discharged from the growth circuit of the photobioreactor with the liquid phase being successively separated by letting the liquor decant. The raw oil fraction as any other oil of vegetable origin is adapted to be processed to produce highly remunerative biofuel and may be sold as such. The water fraction may be recycled into the growth liquor of the photobioreactor.

It is remarked the fact that practically all regions of the solar spectrum are exploited. The shorter wavelength region being exploited optimally by photovoltaic conversion, exemplified symbolically by a solar panel, the infrared region is optimally exploited by solar thermal energy conversion devices exemplified in the scheme by a cylindrical mirror light concentrating reflector converter associated to a heat storage reservoir of a work fluid which may be water, or other suitable thermal work fluid. It is also possible to use a phase- change work fluid in a primary circuit that exchanges heat with a comparably large body of water, for storing accumulated heat at relatively low temperature as hot water.

The electrical energy that is produced by the photovoltaic devices and eventually by other ancillary electromechanical generators is eventually stored in a redox flow battery system capable of storing large amounts of energy. Preferably the redox flow battery system is a so-called all-vanadium battery system as the ones disclosed in the prior international patent applications of the same applicants: PCT/IB2010/001651, filed on 29 June 2010, PCT/IB2010/002004, filed on 13 August 2010, PCT/IB2010/002231, filed on 7 September 2010, and PCT/IB2010/002499, filed on 1 October 2010, the descriptions and drawings of these prior applications are intended to be herein incorporated by express reference.

DC power produced by the solar generators or other electromechanical generators and/or stored in the battery sub-system is converted to AC power, at regulated standard voltage and frequency, by one or more conventional inverters to supply local services and a power distribution grid serving the community (or injected onto a public grid under appropriate contractual provisions.

A Rankine cycle generator capable of exploiting the stored heat generated by the thermal solar converter and recovered by waste heat sources such as from the hot exausts of the kiln and or of the combustion engine and/or turbine power generators activates itself when the temperature of the body of water surpasses a certain upper threshold temperature and is another power generation resource onto which relaying for extending self sufficiency and in emergency or maintenance situations, being able to function with a temperature differential of as low as 80°C.

In favorable and/or climate conditions a wind turbine generator may be associated to the photovoltaic and to the other electromechanical generators. The optional character of the presence of a wind turbine generator is manifested in the basic scheme of FIG. 1, by symbolically tracing it with phantom lines, as output lines of the optionally operated electromechanical power generators.

The large amounts of algae residue after the watering and oil extraction constitutes an organic waste that is conveyed to a digester together with other substantially nonlineous organic wastes of human and animal origin as well as of selected fraction of household culinary wastes. Anaerobic digestion of organic matter produces biogas that is collected and stored and eventually burned at the site in engine and/or turbine driven generators, for supplementing electrical energy production.

Residues of the anaerobic digestion are separated in dry and liquid and used or sold as soil fertilizers. A kiln allows reclamation of ligneous wastes as they are produced and accumulated periodically, typically from pruning and cropping activities, commonly performed in rural communities, by producing charcoal, and wood vinegar. Heat and flue gases are collected and conveyed respectively to the heat storage and to a carbon dioxide reservoir, for ensuring zero emission and providing a source of carbon dioxide feed to the growing algae.

Hot water that can be derived from the heat storage reservoir helps maintaining an optimum temperature in the algae growth liquor circulating in the photo- bioreactor whenever this need to be supported by heat input, for example at night time and/or seasonally in temperated or cold climate conditions.

In the alternative embodiment depicted in the functional scheme of Fig. 2, the system includes a methane separating unit for privileging production of sellable methane when not burning directly the biogas produced by the digester in engine/turbine driven power generators.

The alternative embodiment depicted in Fig. 3, contemplates the economical exploitation of the harvested algae biomass as source of marketable protein and carbohydrate containing substance that may be sold in form of a pre-processed substance extracted from the algae harvest.