초록 ▼

A process for the production of hydrogen from anaerobically decomposed organic materials by applying an electric potential to the anaerobically decomposed organic materials, including landfill materials and sewage, to form hydrogen, and for decreasing the time required to treat these anaerobically d

A process for the production of hydrogen from anaerobically decomposed organic materials by applying an electric potential to the anaerobically decomposed organic materials, including landfill materials and sewage, to form hydrogen, and for decreasing the time required to treat these anaerobically decomposed organic materials. The organic materials decompose to volatile acids such as acetic acid, which may be hydrolyzed by electric current to form hydrogen. The process may be continuously run in sewage digestion tanks with the continuous feed of sewage, at landfill sites, or at any site having a supply of anaerobically decomposed or decomposable organic materials.

대표청구항 ▼

What is claimed is: 1. A process for separating fluid fuel constituents from organic material comprising the steps of: placing said material in an anaerobic reaction zone; and controlling the conditions of operation selected from the group comprising temperature, acidity, and pressure to support pr

What is claimed is: 1. A process for separating fluid fuel constituents from organic material comprising the steps of: placing said material in an anaerobic reaction zone; and controlling the conditions of operation selected from the group comprising temperature, acidity, and pressure to support processes selected from the group including decomposition by microorganismal activity, thermochemical dissociation, chemical synthesis, and photosynthetic chemistry thereby producing said fuel constituents selected from the group including methane, hydrogen, and mixtures of methane and hydrogen along with one or more carbon substances selected from the group including carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, carbon, and mixtures of carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide, and separating one or more of said carbon substances from one or more of said fuel constituents by a separation means selected from the group including selective removal of one or more of said carbon substances, selective removal of one or more of said fuel constituents by a medium that is controlled by a process selected from the group including pressure swing absorption, temperature swing absorption, and pressure and temperature swing absorption wherein said separation means provides the steps of: mixing said fuel constituents and said carbon substances with said medium, controlling said medium to provide preferential absorption of selections from either said carbon substances or said fuel constituents, collecting selections of said fuel constituents or said carbon substances that remain after said preferential absorption. 2. A process as in claim 1 in which said separation means provides absorption of said carbon substance in a pressurized fluid that allows passage of said fuel to a collection means. 3. A process as in claim 1 in which said separation means includes a head of fluid that produces preferential absorption of one or more of said carbon substances. 4. A process as in claim 1 in which said separation means includes a head of fluid and said fluid is maintained within a desirable range of operating temperatures by subsoil conditions. 5. A process as in claim 1 in which said medium is selected from the group including microspheres, water, and amines. 6. A process for separating fluid fuel constituents from organic material and providing energy conversion comprising the steps of: placing said material in an anaerobic reaction zone; and controlling the conditions of operation selected from the group comprising temperature, acidity, and pressure to support processes selected from the group including decomposition by microorganismal activity, thermochemical dissociation, chemical synthesis, and photosynthetic chemistry thereby producing said fuel constituents along with one or more carbon substances selected from the group including carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, carbon, and mixtures of carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide, and separating one or more of said carbon substances from one or more of said fuel constituents by a separation process selected from the group including selective removal of one or more of said carbon substances, selective removal of one or more of said fuel constituents, and performing said energy conversion by process selected from the group including expansion of one or more of said fuel constituents, expansion of one or more of said carbon substances, addition of heat after said preferential absorption of selections of said carbon substances or of said fuel constituents, addition of heat to one or more of said fuel constituents, and addition of heat to one or more of said carbon substances for the purpose of said energy conversion. 7. A process as in claim 1 or in claim 6 in which heat for said processes requiring heat is selected from the group including solar energy, heat released by combustion, combustion of a portion of said fuel constituents, concentrated solar energy, combination of solar energy along with heat produced by combustion, heat produced by electricity, and heat received from a heat engine. 8. A process as in claim 6 in which said expansion is performed by selected means from the group including an expansion turbine, a positive expansion motor, a phased expansion motor, and an expansion engine. 9. A process as in claim 1 or in claim 6 in which said controlled conditions of operation are modified by catalytic activity. 10. A process for conversion of biomass substances into useful fuel constituents comprising the steps of: application of intermittent voltage for process optimization purposes selected from the group including depression of microorganismal activity that produces methane, enhancement of microorganismal activity that produces hydrogen, and creation of an atmosphere within said biomass wastes that is maintained rich in hydrogen wherein said process employs intermittent voltage according to an adaptive algorithm that provides adjustment of operating parameters selected from the group including adjustment of voltage magnitude, times of said voltage application, intervals between times of voltage application, and duration of voltage application for purposes selected from the group including depression of microorganismal activity that produces methane, enhancement of microorganismal activity that produces hydrogen, and creation of an atmosphere within said biomass that is maintained rich in hydrogen and wherein feedback from a gas detector is provided to a controller means that utilizes said algorithm. 11. The process of claim 10 in which said voltage is generated by utilization of one or more of said fuel constituents by means selected from the group including: a fuel cell, an engine, a combination of a fuel cell and an engine, and a thermoelectric generator. 12. The process of claim 10 in which feedback information from a gas detector means is provided to a controller means that utilizes an algorithm that includes the time until methane production is depressed by adaptive application of said voltage. 13. The process of claim 10 in which feedback information from a gas detector means is provided to a controller means that utilizes an algorithm that includes the time until methane production is detected between adaptive applications of said voltage. 14. The process of claim 10 in which said voltage magnitude and or time of application or time between voltage applications is adaptively adjusted to minimize energy expenditure.