Apparatus and method for the desulfurization of petroleum by bacteria

Patent · Sat Dec 31 23:00:00 EST 1994

OSTI ID:870117

Lizama, Hector M ^[1]; Scott, Timothy C ^[1]; Scott, Charles D ^[2]

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1. Knoxville, TN
2. Oak Ridge, TN

A method for treating petroleum with anaerobic microorganisms acting as biocatalysts that can remove sulfur atoms from hydrocarbon molecules, under anaerobic conditions, and then convert the sulfur atoms to hydrogen sulfide. The microorganisms utilized are from the family known as the "Sulfate Reducing Bacteria." These bacteria generate metabolic energy from the oxidation of organic compounds, but use oxidized forms of sulfur as an electron acceptor. Because the biocatalyst is present in the form of bacteria in an aqueous suspension, whereas the reacting substrate consists of hydrocarbon molecules in an organic phase, the actual desulfurization reaction takes place at the aqueous-organic interphase. To ensure adequate interfacial contacting and mass transfer, a biphasic electrostatic bioreactor system is utilized. The bioreactor is utilized to disperse and recoalesce a biocatalyst contained in the aqueous liquid phase into the organic liquid phase containing the sulfur. High-intensity electrical fields rupture the aqueous drops into a plurality of microdroplets and induce continuous coalescence and redispersion as the microdroplets travel through the organic phase, thus increasing surface area. As the aqueous microdroplets progress through the organic phase, the biocatalyst then reacts with the sulfur to produce hydrogen sulfide which is then removed from the bioreactor. The organic liquid, now free of the sulfur, is ready for immediate use or further processing.

• Research Organization: LOCKHEED MARTIN ENRGY SYST INC
• DOE Contract Number: AC05-84OR21400
• Assignee: Martin Marietta Energy Systems, Inc. (Oak Ridge, TN)
• Patent Number(s): US 5458752
• OSTI ID: 870117
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

/204/422/435/
acceptor
acting
adequate
aerobic conditions
anaerobic
anaerobic conditions
anaerobic microorganism
anaerobic microorganisms
apparatus
aqueous
aqueous liquid
aqueous suspension
aqueous-organic
atoms
bacteria
biocatalyst
biocatalysts
bioreactor
biphasic
catalyst contained
coalescence
compounds
conditions
consists
contacting
contained
containing
continuous
continuous coalescence
convert
desulfurization
disperse
drops
electrical
electrical field
electrical fields
electron
electron acceptor
electrostatic
energy
ensure
family
fields
form
forms
free
generate
high-intensity
hydrocarbon
hydrocarbon molecules
hydrogen
hydrogen sulfide
immediate
increasing
induce
intensity electric
interfacial
interphase
liquid
liquid phase
mass
mass transfer
metabolic
method
microdroplets
microorganisms
molecules
organic
organic compound
organic compounds
organic liquid
organic phase
oxidation
oxidized
oxidized form
petroleum
phase
phase containing
plurality
processing
produce
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progress
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reacts
recoalesce
redispersion
reducing
reducing bacteria
remove
remove sulfur
removed
rupture
substrate
sulfate
sulfide
sulfur
sulfur atom
surface
suspension
takes
transfer
travel
treating
treating petroleum
utilized