Classifications

• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C12—BIOCHEMISTRY; BEER; SPIRITS; WINE; VINEGAR; MICROBIOLOGY; ENZYMOLOGY; MUTATION OR GENETIC ENGINEERING
  • C12P—FERMENTATION OR ENZYME-USING PROCESSES TO SYNTHESISE A DESIRED CHEMICAL COMPOUND OR COMPOSITION OR TO SEPARATE OPTICAL ISOMERS FROM A RACEMIC MIXTURE
  • C12P7/00—Preparation of oxygen-containing organic compounds
• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C12—BIOCHEMISTRY; BEER; SPIRITS; WINE; VINEGAR; MICROBIOLOGY; ENZYMOLOGY; MUTATION OR GENETIC ENGINEERING
  • C12M—APPARATUS FOR ENZYMOLOGY OR MICROBIOLOGY; APPARATUS FOR CULTURING MICROORGANISMS FOR PRODUCING BIOMASS, FOR GROWING CELLS OR FOR OBTAINING FERMENTATION OR METABOLIC PRODUCTS, i.e. BIOREACTORS OR FERMENTERS
  • C12M45/00—Means for pre-treatment of biological substances
  • C12M45/07—Means for pre-treatment of biological substances by electrical or electromagnetic forces
• • D—TEXTILES; PAPER
  • D21—PAPER-MAKING; PRODUCTION OF CELLULOSE
  • D21C—PRODUCTION OF CELLULOSE BY REMOVING NON-CELLULOSE SUBSTANCES FROM CELLULOSE-CONTAINING MATERIALS; REGENERATION OF PULPING LIQUORS; APPARATUS THEREFOR
  • D21C1/00—Pretreatment of the finely-divided materials before digesting
  • D21C1/10—Physical methods for facilitating impregnation
• • D—TEXTILES; PAPER
  • D21—PAPER-MAKING; PRODUCTION OF CELLULOSE
  • D21C—PRODUCTION OF CELLULOSE BY REMOVING NON-CELLULOSE SUBSTANCES FROM CELLULOSE-CONTAINING MATERIALS; REGENERATION OF PULPING LIQUORS; APPARATUS THEREFOR
  • D21C3/00—Pulping cellulose-containing materials
  • D21C3/22—Other features of pulping processes
• • D—TEXTILES; PAPER
  • D21—PAPER-MAKING; PRODUCTION OF CELLULOSE
  • D21C—PRODUCTION OF CELLULOSE BY REMOVING NON-CELLULOSE SUBSTANCES FROM CELLULOSE-CONTAINING MATERIALS; REGENERATION OF PULPING LIQUORS; APPARATUS THEREFOR
  • D21C5/00—Other processes for obtaining cellulose, e.g. cooking cotton linters ; Processes characterised by the choice of cellulose-containing starting materials
  • D21C5/005—Treatment of cellulose-containing material with microorganisms or enzymes
• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C12—BIOCHEMISTRY; BEER; SPIRITS; WINE; VINEGAR; MICROBIOLOGY; ENZYMOLOGY; MUTATION OR GENETIC ENGINEERING
  • C12M—APPARATUS FOR ENZYMOLOGY OR MICROBIOLOGY; APPARATUS FOR CULTURING MICROORGANISMS FOR PRODUCING BIOMASS, FOR GROWING CELLS OR FOR OBTAINING FERMENTATION OR METABOLIC PRODUCTS, i.e. BIOREACTORS OR FERMENTERS
  • C12M35/00—Means for application of stress for stimulating the growth of microorganisms or the generation of fermentation or metabolic products; Means for electroporation or cell fusion
  • C12M35/02—Electrical or electromagnetic means, e.g. for electroporation or for cell fusion
• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C12—BIOCHEMISTRY; BEER; SPIRITS; WINE; VINEGAR; MICROBIOLOGY; ENZYMOLOGY; MUTATION OR GENETIC ENGINEERING
  • C12P—FERMENTATION OR ENZYME-USING PROCESSES TO SYNTHESISE A DESIRED CHEMICAL COMPOUND OR COMPOSITION OR TO SEPARATE OPTICAL ISOMERS FROM A RACEMIC MIXTURE
  • C12P2201/00—Pretreatment of cellulosic or lignocellulosic material for subsequent enzymatic treatment or hydrolysis
• • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
  • Y02E—REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
  • Y02E50/00—Technologies for the production of fuel of non-fossil origin
  • Y02E50/30—Fuel from waste, e.g. synthetic alcohol or diesel

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a method of treating biomass with laser light intended for biomass production and apparatus for performing the method.
• Biogas is a mixture of gases that consists mainly of methane and carbon dioxide. Biogas is released during the anaerobic digestion of organic material which is a substance of biomass.
• a fermenter is an air-tight sealed container used for storing biomass.
• Biomass is prepared mechanically to the form a homogenous substrate which facilitates the process of anaerobic digestion of organic material.
• Mechanical preparation consists of crushing, stirring, milling and pushing through sieves. The purpose of mechanical preparation is disintegration of biomass into small particles which can be decomposed by microorganisms more easily. Mechanical operations contain as well stirring of digestate (biomass prepared to be decomposed inside the fermenter).
• the invention is directed to providing a method of treating biomass that would reach a higher level of biomass decomposition during anaerobic digestion using microorganisms, limit utilization of chemical substances, accelerate the process of biomass production in fermenters, be friendly to the environment and safe both from operational and economical aspects.
• biomass with laser light biomass is firstly disintegrated mechanically and stirred to form a homogenous substrate, and then biomass is transported to the fermenter, after which it is stirred in the fermenter during its anaerobic digestion.
• the invention is characterized in that biomass is irradiated with laser light before being transported to the fermenter and/or biomass is irradiated with laser light inside the fermenter concurrently with stirring.
• Laser light contributes to the biophysical degradation of biomass which is required for a better process of anaerobic digestion by means of microorganisms.
• Incident laser light disturbs the iignocellulose structure of cell walls of plant biomass. That supports higher activity of microorganisms and enzymes in the fermenter which leads to increasing the production of biogas up to 18% compared to standard methods.
• laser light has a biostimuiating effect on microorganisms, especially on their cell organs. It results in increasing their reproductive abilities, especially of microorganisms involved in the fermentation process (hydrolytic, acetogenic, homoacetogenic and methanogenic bacteria).
• Wavelength range of laser light in the preferred embodiment is from 350 nm to 1 ,000 nm while the wavelength range of laser light used for treating biomass before its transporting to fermenter is from of 690 nm to 1 ,000 nm, and the wavelength range of laser light used for treating biomass during anaerobic digestion is from 400 nm to 840 nm. Higher wavelengths of laser light are more suitable for a physical decomposition of the lignocellulose structure while laser light with lower wavelengths, i. e. low-power lasers, are more suitable for a stimulation of microorganisms during anaerobic digestion.
• Laser light in a preferred embodiment is scattered across the area. Duration of irradiating the biomass and/or laser light intensity is proportional to the composition and amount of biomass. Irradiation of the surface results in a transfer of sufficient quantity of energy to lignocellulose structures of biomass cells transported to the fermenter. The intensity of laser light and duration of irradiation corresponds to the quantity of transported biomass so that maximum disturbing of ceil walls in the transported volume could be achieved.
• laser light turns on during anaerobic digestion concurrently at the beginning of stirring of biomass in the fermenter and laser light turns off 5 minutes after stopping stirring in the fermenter.
• stirring also microorganisms from greater depth, which are necessary to be stimulated by laser light, get on the surface easily. After finishing stirring such microorganisms float on the surface for sufficient time and are treated by incident laser light. After the expiration of specified time further treatment would not bring the required effect because it does not pass through the layer of microorganisms at the surface that has been treated, so laser light will turn off until further stirring.
• An apparatus for performing the method of treating biomass with laser light is a part of the invention.
• the invention is characterized in that it consists of a laser expander with at least one integrated source of laser beam and at least one polygon that sweeps laser light to adjust laser beam to appropriate intensity and optimum exposition.
• Biomass in the laser expander is transirradiated intensively by laser light focused on a small area using a polygon (system of mirrors) that sweeps laser light. In that way a large amount of energy is transferred to biomass which will disturb a lignocellulose structure of cell walls.
• the wavelength range of emitted radiation is preferably from 690 nm to 1 ,000 nm and the apparatus is located between the transport paths of homogenous biomass substrate and the filling opening of the fermenter.
• a stimulating apparatus for treating biomass with laser light is a part of the invention as well.
• the invention is characterized in that it includes at least one low-power source of laser light arranged inside the fermenter above the surface of stored biomass and at least one scattering means for scattering laser light on the surface area of the stored biomass.
• Incident laser light has a biostimulation effect on the microorganisms involved in an anaerobic fermentation of biomass.
• the source of laser light is arranged above the surface inside the fermenter so that the light could spread well, and light beam is scattered across the area so that a maximum part of the fermenter surface could be covered.
• Solid state lasers of wavelengths from 690 to 1 ,000 nm, dye lasers of wavelengths from 504 to 650 nm, or gas lasers of various wavelengths are utilized during treating of biomass.
• the beam of these lasers is scattered across the area using a polygon that sweeps laser light (a mirror system) so that an appropriate energetic distribution of laser radiation across the effective area could be reached at a high coherence and a monochromatic character of laser light which provides for a maximum coverage of biomass.
• Biomass, especially that of a plant origin, intended for a degradation to produce biomass as a fuel for a cogenerating unit is delivered to the batching apparatus.
• a laser expander is connected between the screw conveyor or tubing or other transport paths and the input opening of the fermenter.
• the laser expander is triggered which controls passing biomass that is transferred in 1- to 2-hour periods to a BGS (biogas station) of the fermenter wherein the timing is specific according to the type of BGS and the type of the batching apparatus.
• the exposure (duration x intensity of radiation) of biomass to the laser radiation can be adjusted according to the amount of biomass passing through the laser expander or by changing the parameters of laser radiation.
• the apparatus for treating biomass with laser light especially for stimulating microorganisms is based on a capability of laser radiation to change cell functions, i. e. bio stimulation. It utilizes the phenomena of stimulation of cell organs, above all mitochondrions for producing ATP (adenosine phosphate). ATP energizes the ceil which accelerates its reproduction. Photochemical effects of laser radiation on the activity of microorganisms that participate in the fermentation process (hydrolytic, acetogenic, homoacetogenic and methanogenic bacteria) are based on the principle of absorption of the respective photons that energize their cells and facilitate their fast propagation which positively influences biochemical processes in the fermenter of the biogas station.
• a stirring device for digestate (a mixture of biomass and microorganism) is placed inside the fermenter to which a stimulating apparatus is connected for treating biomass with laser light. This is triggered concurrently with starting the stirrers while irradiating the moving digestate. It is turned off after finishing operating the stirrers (approximately 5 minutes) and turned on again in a new mixing cycle (approximately 9 -11 minutes) wherein the timing is individual according to the type of BGS.
• the stimulating apparatus for treating biomass with laser light uses low-power lasers of wavelengths from 405 nm to 840 nm.
• the above methods of treating biomass with laser light and the apparatus for performing the same can be applied in the facilities that produce biomass from renewable sources, and can be used both individually or in a combination. Modifications of such methods are applicable in all cases where a degradation of biomass occurs or is utilized for producing energy (waste biomass and biomass suitable for producing energy, fuel mixtures, sewage sediments) or stimulation of microorganisms (fermentation processes).

Landscapes

• Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Organic Chemistry (AREA)
• Wood Science & Technology (AREA)
• Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Zoology (AREA)
• Biochemistry (AREA)
• Bioinformatics & Cheminformatics (AREA)
• Microbiology (AREA)
• General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Biotechnology (AREA)
• General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Genetics & Genomics (AREA)
• Sustainable Development (AREA)
• Biomedical Technology (AREA)
• Molecular Biology (AREA)
• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Electromagnetism (AREA)
• Chemical Kinetics & Catalysis (AREA)
• General Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Processing Of Solid Wastes (AREA)
• Micro-Organisms Or Cultivation Processes Thereof (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=56137049

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (2)

Citations (1)

Family Cites Families (4)

• 2015
  • 2015-05-28 CZ CZ2015-358A patent/CZ2015358A3/cs not_active IP Right Cessation
• 2016
  • 2016-05-24 WO PCT/CZ2016/000057 patent/WO2016188507A1/en not_active Ceased

Patent Citations (1)

Non-Patent Citations (2)

Also Published As

Similar Documents

Legal Events