Patent ID: 8551629

Claim:
A system for concurrently processing a carbon dioxide flow from a gas stream into electricity and methane, the system comprising: a first apparatus for receiving therein the gas stream and recovering therefrom (i) a flow of condensed water, and (ii) a gas flow comprising carbon dioxide; an operating photoelectromethanogenic microbial fuel cell apparatus for processing a carbon dioxide flow into electricity and methane, the apparatus comprising: a photosynthetic half-cell component for culturing therein photosynthetic microorganisms, said photosynthetic half-cell component provided with a light-receiving element and an electron-conductive anode; an electromethanogenic half-cell component for culturing therein methanogenic microorganisms, said electromethanogenic half-cell component provided with an electron-conductive cathode; an electrical coupling interconnecting the photosynthetic half-cell component and the electromethanogenic half-cell component; and an ionic coupling interconnecting the photosynthetic half-cell component and the electromethanogenic half-cell component, said ionic coupling provided with an ion separator; wherein (iii) the photosynthetic half-cell component is provided with a circulating liquid medium commingled with a portion of the flow of condensed water from the first apparatus and is culturing therein photosynthetic microorganisms thereby producing oxygen, protons and electrons, and (iv) the electromethanogenic half-cell component is provided with a circulating liquid medium commingled with a portion of the gas flow comprising carbon dioxide from the first apparatus and a portion of the protons and electrons produced in the photosynthetic half-cell component and is culturing therein methanogenic microorganisms thereby producing methane; a second apparatus for commingling a portion of the gas flow comprising carbon dioxide from the first apparatus with the circulating liquid medium of the electromethanogenic half-cell component; a third apparatus for conveying electrons from the photosynthetic half-cell component to the electromethanogenic half-cell component; and a fourth apparatus for conveying protons from the photosynthetic half-cell component to the electromethanogenic half-cell component; a fifth apparatus for receiving oxygen produced in the photosynthetic half-cell component; and a sixth apparatus for receiving methane produced in the methanogenic half-cell component.