Patent ID: 9222108
Filing Date: 2015-12-29
Classification: C12M,C12N,C12P,C12R

Abstract:
1. A bioreactor process for the substantial anaerobic conversion of biomass to at least hydrogen gas comprising: providing a reactor vessel having a bed consisting of a mixed anaerobic bacterial consortium; providing a biomass inflow into the reactor vessel via an inlet means, wherein the biomass includes hexoses and volatile fatty acids, the rate of biomass inflow controlled by an inflow meter or an inflow variable pump, the biomass inflow at least partially fermented by the mixed anaerobic bacterial consortium of the reactor vessel to produce at least hydrogen gas; harvesting the at least hydrogen gas produced during fermentation inside the reactor vessel via a harvesting means; providing a degassed biomass effluent outflow exiting the reactor vessel via an outflow means, the treated biomass effluent outflow rate controlled by an outflow meter or an outflow variable pump; and recycling the degassed biomass effluent via a degassed effluent recycling means back into the reactor vessel, the rate of recycling controlled by a recycling flow meter or a recycling variable pump and at a temperature between 55° C. and 70° C. with degassed effluent recycling rates between 2.0 and 3.5 L/min and biomass inflow between 3.0 and 4.2 L/h for a reactor volume of 2.53 L; wherein the process has a hydrogen yield (HY) of at least 3 moles H