US 12,441,644 B2
System and method of generating electricity in a body of water
Benjamin Jacob Rosenthal, Newport, RI (US); Miles Rogers, Watertown, MA (US); and Helen Scott, Watertown, MA (US)
Assigned to RTX BBN TECHNOLOGIES, INC., Cambridge, MA (US)
Filed by Raytheon BBN Technologies, Corp., Cambridge, MA (US)
Filed on Dec. 21, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/558,519.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/128,748, filed on Dec. 21, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2022/0200029 A1, Jun. 23, 2022
Int. Cl. H01M 8/0606 (2016.01); C01B 3/06 (2006.01); C01B 17/16 (2006.01); C01B 17/74 (2006.01); C02F 1/20 (2023.01); C02F 1/70 (2023.01); C02F 3/02 (2023.01); C02F 3/30 (2023.01); C02F 3/34 (2023.01); B63G 8/08 (2006.01); C02F 101/10 (2006.01); C02F 101/16 (2006.01); C02F 101/20 (2006.01); C02F 103/00 (2006.01); C02F 103/08 (2006.01); C12M 1/00 (2006.01); C12M 1/107 (2006.01); C12P 3/00 (2006.01); C12R 1/01 (2006.01)
CPC C02F 3/345 (2013.01) [C01B 3/06 (2013.01); C01B 17/164 (2013.01); C01B 17/74 (2013.01); C02F 1/20 (2013.01); C02F 1/705 (2013.01); C02F 3/02 (2013.01); C02F 3/302 (2013.01); C02F 3/303 (2013.01); C02F 3/305 (2013.01); C02F 3/34 (2013.01); C02F 3/341 (2013.01); H01M 8/0606 (2013.01); B63G 8/08 (2013.01); C01B 2203/06 (2013.01); C02F 2101/101 (2013.01); C02F 2101/16 (2013.01); C02F 2101/20 (2013.01); C02F 2103/007 (2013.01); C02F 2103/08 (2013.01); C12M 21/04 (2013.01); C12M 23/34 (2013.01); C12P 3/00 (2013.01); C12R 2001/01 (2021.05); H01M 2250/20 (2013.01); Y02E 60/50 (2013.01); Y02T 90/40 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of generating electricity in a body of water, comprising:
providing a colony of sulfur-reducing bacteria, a colony of sulfur-oxidizing bacteria, and a colony of denitrifying bacteria, wherein the colonies are submerged in the body of water;
using the colony of sulfur-reducing bacteria, converting at least a portion of sulfates present in the body of water to hydrogen sulfide;
using the colony of sulfur-oxidizing bacteria, converting the hydrogen sulfide to sulfuric acid;
reacting the sulfuric acid with manganese to produce hydrogen gas and manganese sulfate;
using the colony of denitrifying bacteria, converting at least a portion of nitrogen oxides in the body of water to nitrogen gas;
bubbling the nitrogen gas through a portion of water from the body of water to remove dissolved oxygen from the portion of water, thereby forming a mixture of the nitrogen gas and oxygen gas; and
combining the hydrogen gas and oxygen gas in a fuel cell generator to generate electricity.