Microorganism Mediated Liquid Fuels

Abstract

Herein disclosed is a method for producing liquid hydrocarbon product, the method comprising disintegrating a hydrocarbon source; pretreating the disintegrated hydrocarbon source; solubilizing the disintegrated hydrocarbon source to form a slurry comprising a reactant molecule of the hydrocarbon source; admixing a biochemical liquor into the slurry, wherein the biochemical liquor comprises at least one conversion enzyme configured to facilitate bond selective photo-fragmentation of said reactant molecule of the hydrocarbon source, to form liquid hydrocarbons via enzyme assisted bond selective photo-fragmentation, wherein said conversion enzyme comprises reactive sites configured to restrict said reactant molecule such that photo-fragmentation favorably targets a preselected internal bond of said reactant molecule; separating the liquid hydrocarbons from the slurry, wherein contaminants remain in the slurry; and enriching the liquid hydrocarbons to form a liquid hydrocarbon product. Various aspects of such method/process are also discussed.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A method for producing liquid hydrocarbon product comprising,
 disintegrating a hydrocarbon source;   pretreating the disintegrated hydrocarbon source;   solubilizing the disintegrated hydrocarbon source to form a slurry comprising a reactant molecule of the hydrocarbon source;   admixing a biochemical liquor into the slurry, wherein the biochemical liquor comprises at least one conversion enzyme configured to facilitate bond selective photo-fragmentation of said reactant molecule of the hydrocarbon source, to form liquid hydrocarbons via enzyme assisted bond selective photo-fragmentation, wherein said conversion enzyme comprises reactive sites configured to restrict said reactant molecule such that photo-fragmentation favorably targets a preselected internal bond of said reactant molecule;   separating the liquid hydrocarbons from the slurry, wherein contaminants remain in the slurry; and   enriching the liquid hydrocarbons to form a liquid hydrocarbon product.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein disintegrating the hydrocarbon source comprises comminution of the hydrocarbon source. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein comminution comprises grinding. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein comminution comprises high-pressure steam treatment. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein pretreating the disintegrated hydrocarbon source comprises chemical pretreatment, heat pretreatment, oxidation of the hydrocarbon source, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein solubilizing the disintegrated hydrocarbon source comprises treating the disintegrated hydrocarbon source with at least one enzyme. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein admixing biochemical liquor comprises admixing at least one additional enzyme. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein admixing at least one additional enzyme further comprises admixing an enzyme for converting a hydrocarbon source to lower molecular weight hydrocarbons. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein separating liquid hydrocarbons comprises a process of settling the slurry from the liquid hydrocarbon. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein separating liquid hydrocarbons comprises settling contaminants from the liquid hydrocarbon. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein enriching the liquid hydrocarbon comprises admixing the liquid hydrocarbon with at least one enzyme. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the biochemical liquor comprises a modified enzyme. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the modified enzyme comprises an enzyme that is genetically modified. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the modified enzyme comprises an enzyme that is chemically modified. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the method is conducted in-situ in a coal mine or ex-situ on mined coal. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein enriching the liquid hydrocarbons comprises improving the liquid hydrocarbon product qualities prior to distillation. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the liquid hydrocarbon product comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of gasoline, diesel, kerosene, and distillates thereof. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the hydrocarbon source comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of coal, anthracite coal, bituminous coal, lignite, sub-bituminous coal, low-rank coals, coke, tar sand, and oil shale.