Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02541681 2006-01-09
Specification
The invention is related to processes of conservation and utilization of
carbon dioxide
and can be used for the reduction of greenhouse effect and global warming.
It is well known that excess of carbon dioxide increased the global warming
effect for the
last couple decades. In the United States approximately 6.6 tons of greenhouse
gases are
emitted per person every year. Most of these emissions are from burning fossil
fuels to
generate electricity and power cars. When coal and oil are extracted from
Earth's crust
and then burn carbon dioxide is added to the atmosphere more rapidly than it
is naturally
removed through sedimentation and photosynthesis. As a result, atmospheric
carbon
dioxide concentration is higher today than it has been for the last a couple
of hundred
years.
The oceans naturally absorb significant amount of carbon dioxide. Therefore,
many
controversial inventions have been made to increase efficiency of dissolving
of carbon
dioxide in oceans without taking to consideration the fragile ocean ecosystem.
For example, in accordance with JP 2005021870 surface seawater should be
electrolyzed,
to enable bicarbonate ions and carbonate ions included in sea water to combine
with
calcium and magnesium to produce insoluble carbonate salt, wliich precipitates
on the sea
bottom by self weight. Direct electrolysis treatment of the surface ocean
water per the US
005011770 can be used theoretically to accelerate disposition of carbon
dioxide in the
oceans as well.
1
CA 02541681 2006-01-09
The other group of inventions proposed dumping of carbon dioxide directly into
sea by
difference methods.
For example, the invention per CA 2183570 described a vehicle and process
wherein
gaseous carbon dioxide is solidified to allow free fall through open water
where it, at
least partially, embeds itself in sedimentary formations. Sedimentation
ensures that the
marine environment is an overall carbon sink through carbonate sedimentation.
The method for the disposal of carbon dioxide per CA 2044566 in the deep sea,
which
comprises compressing and dehumidifying gaseous carbon dioxide to be disposed,
by
passing the so compressed carbon dioxide gas through a cold sea water region
where a
temperature condition enough to liquefy the compressed carbon dioxide followed
by
discharging out the liquefied carbon dioxide into such deep sea.
JP 10122121 proposed composite processing of dissolution of a carbon dioxide
in the
sea water as well.
The invention per WO 9403288 also relates to a method of the disposal C02 in
the solid
state in the deep sea water. To enable a fast conveyance of dry ice blocks to
large depths
dry ice is compressed or compacted together with some ballast, e.g. gravel or
any other
material with a high density to coherent bodies with a density being
essentially higher
than that for dry ice. Before disposal preferably occurring at a depth of at
least fifteen
hundred meters, the bodies are conveniently wrapped into a gas permeable
plastic
envelope.
A process for the disposal of carbon dioxide in deep sea per US 5405595, which
comprises compressing and dehumidifying gaseous carbon dioxide to be disposed
of,
passing the compressed carbon dioxide gas through a cold sea water region
where a
temperature condition enough to liquefy the compressed carbon dioxide gas
prevails via a
pipe line to effect cooling of the gas by heat exchange with the cold sea
water to thereby
liquefy the compressed carbon dioxide gas, conducting the liquefied carbon
dioxide
through an extension of the pipe line to such a depth of sea water, that the
specific weight
of the liquefied carbon dioxide at such depth is greater than that of the
ambient sea water
2
CA 02541681 2006-01-09
of such depth, and then discharging out the liquefied carbon dioxide into such
deep sea.
The similar method is described also by CA 2044566.
The JP 5038429 proposed the method wherein carbon dioxide is mixed with snow
to
form a "clathrate" hydrate wherein carbon dioxide molecules are incorporated
in a water
crystal and this "clathrate" hydrate is thrown away to the bottom of the sea
in a very deep
region.
The method per JP 4225832 proposed to prevent liquefied C02, which is thrown
into the
deep sea, from being dissolved and diffused in the surrounding sea water by
covering the
surface of liquefied carbon dioxide deposited in the bottom of the deep sea
with a
substance losing fluidity responding to carbon dioxide.
The method per US 6620091 for removing C02 from a C02 - containing hydrocarbon
asset includes contacting a C02 - containing hydrocarbon asset with an aqueous
liquid
stream at an underwater location so that at least a portion of the C02 in the
hydrocarbon
asset is dissolved into the aqueous liquid stream, creating a C02 -depleted
hydrocarbon
asset and a C02 -enriched aqueous stream. The C02 -enriched aqueous stream is
separated from the hydrocarbon asset. Finally, the C02 -enriched aqueous
stream is
disposed of in at least one of a marine environment, a terrestrial formation,
or
combination thereof.
Per US 6598407 liquid C02 injection system produces a negatively buoyant
consolidated
stream of liquid C02, hydrate, and water that sinks upon release at ocean
depths in the
range of 700-1500 m.
The apparatus per GB2287088 is provided for casting liquefied carbonated gas
into deep
water. Heating the liquefied gas prevents freezing of the water around the
lower end of
the tube, but the liquefied gas does not re-vaporize due to the high pressure.
The heating
fluid may comprise antifreeze or warm seawater.
Inventions per US 2004228788 and JP 2003190733 use coal ashes or aqueous
solution,
water dispersion or gel of protein, which comprises silk fibroin, in which
carbon dioxide
3
CA 02541681 2006-01-09
is absorbed and fixed. However, these methods did not resolve disposable
problem of
waste.
Methods for partial utilization of carbon dioxide are described by RU 2223398
and RU
2002110073 patents wherein a mixture of several gases, which comprises up to
6% of
C02 is used to injected into well to increase productivity of the oil
extraction. These
inventions are similar to a method for underground treatment of subsurface
materials per
CA 2484619 comprises an injection pattern and a recovery pattern comprising
lateral
bores extending from a main bore. The recovery pattern may overlay or be
horizontally
offset with respect to the injection pattern.
However, the most prominent method of carbon dioxide utilization has been
disclosed by
the US patent No. 6667171 wherein a process of photosynthetic carbon
sequestration is
used. An on-site biological sequestration system directly decreases the
concentration of
carbon-containing compounds in the emissions of fossil generation units. In
this process,
photosynthetic microbes are attached to a growth surface arranged in a
containment
chamber that is lit by solar photons. A harvesting system ensures maximum
organism
growth and rate of C02 uptake. Soluble carbon and nitrogen concentrations
delivered to
the cyanobacteria are enhanced, further increasing growth rate and carbon
utilization.
The method per JP 2004321082 patent comprises adding autotrophic bacteria to
the
adsorbent having adsorbed the waste gas containing the carbon dioxide to
produce an
organic carbon compound from the carbon dioxide adsorbed on the adsorbent, and
to
enable the plant to be cultivated by using the produced organic carbon
compound as a
nutrient
Unfortunately, both these methods are not cost effective and have low
productivity.
We have found that most of the disadvantages of the described above methods
can be
overcome by injecting carbon dioxide with anaerobic organisms, such as
bacteria, into
the crust to enable carbon dioxide sequestration and tightening carbon dioxide
into stable
chemical substances which can stay underground safely for the unlimited period
of a
time.
4
CA 02541681 2006-01-09
The method as above wherein carbon dioxide and anaerobic bacteria are injected
simultaneously.
The method as above wherein carbon dioxide and anaerobic bacteria are injected
separately.
The method as above wherein carbon dioxide with anaerobic bacteria is injected
through
the same injecting system and well.
The method as above wherein carbon dioxide and anaerobic bacteria are injected
through
different systems and wells.
The method as above wherein the injected carbon dioxide with anaerobic
bacteria is gas.
The method as above wherein the injected carbon dioxide and anaerobic
organisms is
liquid.
The method as above wherein the injected carbon dioxide with anaerobic
organisms is a
mixture of liquid and gas or gases.
The method as above wherein the injected carbon dioxide contains solid
ingredients.
The method as above wherein hydrogen or hydrocarbon or both these gases are
added to
the injected mixture.
The method as above wherein nitrogen is added to the injected mixture.
The method as above wherein the content of carbon dioxide in the injected
mixture can
be changed from 0.1 to 99.9%.
The method as above wherein anaerobic organisms such as bacteria are selected
based on
the chemical composition of minerals and underground temperature.
The method as above wherein natural underground capacities of the crust are
used for the
injection of carbon dioxide mixture.
CA 02541681 2006-01-09
The method as above wherein artificial capacities are created for injecting of
carbon
dioxide mixture.
The method as above wherein carbon dioxide mixture is injected into the
seabed.
The method as above wherein injected mixture is used for the displacement of
oil or
natural gases to increase productivity of wells.
The method as above wherein the carbon dioxide mixture is injected through
injecting
wells while extraction of oil or gases is performed through the development
wells.
The method as above wherein the extracted oil or gases are separated from the
displacement mixture followed by injection of the latter back into wells.
The method as above wherein the substances, which have been produced by
anaerobic
organisms, are extracted over an extended period of a time and utilized for
different
means.
The method as above wherein substances produced by anaerobic organisms are
used for
the production of organic materials.
The method as above wherein minerals and materials, which have been dissolved
in the
substance produced by anaerobic organisms, are extracted from the solution and
utilized
for different means.
The method as above wherein the injected mixture is exposed to light, heat or
other
radiations to accelerate carbon dioxide sequestration.
The method as above wherein at least one catalyst is used to accelerate
biological
sequestration.
The method as above wherein catalysts are added to the injected mixture prior,
during or
after the injection of carbon dioxide mixture.
6
CA 02541681 2006-01-09
The method as above wherein bacteria are premixed with gases or liquids such
as water
to protect anaerobic organisms from oxygen.
The present invention is based on the carbon dioxide fixation by anaerobic
organisms
such as chemosynthetic bacteria, which can be added to the carbon dioxide
prior, during
or after injecting carbon dioxide under the Earth surface into the crust.
For example, Moorella Thermoacetica is a one of the most ancient orgasms known
on the
Earth. Due to simplicity of chemistry of these bacteria, it is tied closely
carbon bond from
methane and carbon dioxide by the following pathway:
CH4 + C02 - > H3C-COOH
This genesis reaction was found in the undersea thermal vents where the two
reactants
above come in contact with iron, nickel and sulfur mineral which act as
catalysts making
the reaction occur thousands of times faster than it would otherwise occurs.
These
bacteria can grow at 56 - 60 C without oxygen. Therefore, exhausted oil and
gas
reservoirs and wells create almost ideal conditions for carbon dioxide
fixation.
Moorella Thermoacetica also can grow autotrophically consuming inorganic
chemicals
such as C02 and Ha by Wood-Ljungdahl pathway:
2C02 + 4H2- > CH3COOH + 2H20
During this chemical reaction one carbon dioxide is first converted to methyl
(CH 3) ion
while another one is converted to carbon monoxide (CO). Both the methyl ion
and the
CO are combined on a nickel atom to form an acetyl group, which is hydrolyzed
to form
acetic acid.
Carbon dioxide fixation can be made by other organisms utilizing other
pathways, similar
to plants. However, in this case, additional sources of light or other
radiations are
required.
7
CA 02541681 2006-01-09
Beneath the Earth surface the mixture of carbon dioxide and anaerobic bacteria
are
subjected to elevated pressure and temperature. Over an extended period of a
time this
mixture will produce organic liquids such as acetic acid and probably other
organic
substances. The speed of these reactions will depend on a temperature and
chemical
composition of a crust.
Carbon dioxide can be extracted from exhaust systems of metallurgical and
electric
power plants or directly from atmosphere of most polluted cities reducing
heavy smog
and emissions of greenhouse gases. After that, carbon dioxide might be
delivered to the
injecting facilities by conventional transports or pipelines.
It can also be economically efficient to use the mixture of carbon dioxide and
anaerobic
bacteria as the displacement substance to increase productivity of the oil
wells. For this
purpose the carbon dioxide mixture can be injected around the oil and gas
traps or so
called reservoirs increasing the pressure on the extracted oil. Also, it can
reduce viscosity
of heavy oils. Gaseous hydrocarbons, which are usually affiliated with oil
traps, might be
used by bacteria to fix carbon dioxide into stable liquids, which with
progress of oil
extraction will replace the last one and stay underground safely.
If carbon dioxide has to be injected into methane free formation such as
Utsira sandstone,
hydrogen or hydrocarbon (methane) can be added to CO2 to speed up carbon
dioxide
sequestration. Over the years all carbon dioxide will be chemically tied into
organic
liquids. Probably, the same or similar reactions took place on the Earth
millions of years
ago, prior to bacteria made the Earth suitable for plants, fish, animals, and
men.
For continued conservation and recycling of carbon dioxide, artificial
storages can be
built either underground, undersea or directly on the land. In this case the
heat and
electromagnetic radiations from the Sun and other sources can be used to speed
up the
fixation of carbon dioxide.
Minerals, wherein disposal of carbon dioxide takes place, can be used as
catalysts to
speed up carbon dioxide fixation. Therefore, anaerobic bacteria should be
selected based
on the mineral composition of the crust. For example nickel, cobalt and sulfur
stimulate
8
CA 02541681 2006-01-09
carbon dioxide fixation of Moorella Thermoacetica and Caluptogena Magnefica.
Roseiflexus can be used in the regions with high temperatures. Nostoc
Puntiforme can fix
carbon dioxide and nitrogen producing hydrogen at low temperature.
Thiobbacillus
Denitrificans can be used to fix carbon and oxidize sulfur. Most of the above
mentioned
bacteria are harmless or friendly for people and animals. The safety of men
and
enviromnent should be taken into consideration when selecting bacteria. Widely
distributed bacteria Nitrobacter Winogradski Nb-255 can grow with several
metabolic
modes tightening carbon dioxide as well. There are also many other bacteria
that can be
used for environmentally safe carbon sequestration.
Amount of bacteria can vary depending on geological conditions and composition
of the
crust. It can be determined by experiments or other methods. To ease the
process of
mixing carbon dioxide with bacteria and prevention the direct contact of
anaerobic
organism with air bacteria can be premixed with water or other liquids or
gases.
To simulate the proposed method, the experiment described below was conducted
using
plastic chamber equipped with rubber gloves, airlock and valves:
The plastic bag was partially filled with sand, stones, iron and nickel
laterite ores, which
were used as catalysts. The plastic bag was purged using carbon dioxide to
remove
bacteria-destroying oxygen and filled with the mixture of 50% carbon dioxide
and 50%
hydrogen. After that, the container with the Moorella Thermoacetica was opened
and
bacteria were released into the artificial soil. Pressure of gases inside the
chamber was
maintained above atmospheric to the exclude air leakage. After one month, the
samples
of liquid were collected for analysis. It was found that collected liquid
contained water
and acetic acid. Increasing the temperature from 20 - 22 to 45 - 50 C
significantly
speeded up carbon dioxide sequestration.
9
