Photosynthetic Hydrogen Production Using Algae
- Technology Benefits
- Clean, low-cost, distributed hydrogen production
- Technology Application
- The clean, cost-effective production of hydrogen gas for use a fuel source.
- Detailed Technology Description
- None
- Supplementary Information
- Patent Number: US6989252B2
Application Number: US2000748690A
Inventor: Melis, Anastasios | Zhang, Liping | Benemann, John R. | Forestier, Marc | Ghirardi, Maria | Seibert, Michael
Priority Date: 28 Dec 1999
Priority Number: US6989252B2
Application Date: 22 Dec 2000
Publication Date: 24 Jan 2006
IPC Current: C12P000300 | C12N000112
US Class: 435168 | 4352571 | 4352576 | 435946
Assignee Applicant: Midwest Research Institute,Kansas City
Title: Hydrogen production using hydrogenase-containing oxygenic photosynthetic organisms
Usefulness: Hydrogen production using hydrogenase-containing oxygenic photosynthetic organisms
Summary: (M) is useful for the temporal separation of oxygen evolution and hydrogen production in a microorganism (claimed). (M) is useful for sustained photobiological hydrogen gas production in cultures of microorganisms, such as C.reinhardtii.
Novelty: Reversible physiological process for temporal separation of oxygen evolution and hydrogen production in a microorganism, by growing and incubating a culture of the microorganism under illuminated conditions
- Industry
- Chemical/Material
- Sub Category
- Inorganic chemical
- Application No.
- 6989252
- Others
-
Tech ID/UC Case
18657/1999-076-0
Related Cases
1999-076-0
- *Abstract
-
Hydrogen gas is considered to be the ideal fuel for combating environmental degradation. However, the biggest obstacle to hydrogen replacing petroleum as the world's primary source of energy is the high cost of cleanly producing this gas. The most cost-effective current method for producing H2 is to use nuclear energy -- but that has environmental issues. Likewise, using solar power is not cost-effective and using wind power is limited to a few regions.
To address this challenge, researchers at the University of California, Berkeley have developed a photosynthetic method for producing H2. This patented H2 production method is based on depriving algae of sulfur which in turn inhibits oxygen flow and augments its natural H2 production.
Using a bioreactor comprised of a network of sealed tubes for cultivating algae and extracting pure H2, researchers were able to produce the gas for about $0.31 per kilowatt-hour. That is much higher than natural gas-fired methods that produce H2 for about $0.05 per kilowatt-hour. However, the Berkeley team is pursuing research to address bottlenecks in this photosynthetic process which would in turn improve efficiency and reduce costs. These cost savings from the more efficient photosynthetic process along with refinements to the bioreactor design could make this algae production method cost competitive with the natural gas-fired production approach.
- *IP Issue Date
- Jan 24, 2006
- *Principal Investigator
-
Name: JOHN BENEMANN
Department:
Name: MARC FORESTIER
Department:
Name: MARIA GHIRARDI
Department:
Name: Anastasios Melis
Department:
Name: MICHAEL SEIBERT
Department:
Name: LIPING ZHANG
Department:
- Country/Region
- USA
