Patent ID: 8518680

Claim:
A method for producing hydrocarbon and hydrogen fuels comprising: a. fermenting a biomass material containing fermentation medium with an inoculum comprising a mixed culture of microorganisms derived from the rumen contents of a rumen-containing animal and incubating under anaerobic conditions and for a sufficient time to produce volatile fatty acids in said medium; b. subjecting said volatile fatty acids or their salts to electrolysis under conditions effective to convert said volatile fatty acids or their salts to hydrocarbons and hydrogen; and further comprising concentrating said volatile fatty acids in said medium by capacitive deionization, wherein said concentrating and said electrolysis are both conducted in the same electrolytic vessel comprising an anode and a cathode electrode, and said concentrating is conducted at a first voltage which is effective to adsorb and concentrate carboxylate anions of said volatile fatty acids at said anode but which first voltage is below the water oxidation voltage, and said electrolysis is conducted at a second voltage greater than said first voltage, which second voltage is effective to convert said carboxylate anions of said volatile fatty acids to hydrocarbons and hydrogen.