(12) INTERNATIONAL APPLICATION PUBLISHED UNDER THE PATENT COOPERATION TREATY (PCT)

(19) World Intellectual Property Organization

International Bureau

(43) International Publication Date (10) International Publication Number

31 May 2007 (31.05.2007) PCT WO 2007/059777 Al
(51) International Patent Classification: (81) Designated States (unless otherwise indicated, for every
C12M 1/107 (2006.01) C02F 11/04 (2006.01) kind of national protection available): AE, AG, AL, AM,
AOlC 3/02 (2006.01) C02F 3/28 (2006.01) AT, AU, AZ, BA, BB, BG, BR, BW, BY, BZ, CA, CH, CN,
CO, CR, CU, CZ, DE, DK, DM, DZ, EC, EE, EG, ES, FI,
(21) International Application Number: GB, GD, GE, GH, GM, GT, HN, HR, HU, ID, IL, IN, IS,
PCT/DK2006/000657 JP, KE, KG, KM, KN, KP, KR, KZ, LA, LC, LK, LR, LS,
LT, LU, LV, LY, MA, MD, MG, MK, MN, MW, MX, MY,
(22) International Filing Date: MZ, NA, NG, NI, NO, NZ, OM, PG, PH, PL, PT, RO, RS,
22 November 2006 (22.1 1.2006) RU, SC, SD, SE, SG, SK, SL, SM, SV, SY, TJ, TM, TN,
TR, TT, TZ, UA, UG, US, UZ, VC, VN, ZA, ZM, ZW
(25) Filing Language: English

(26) Publication Language:
(30) Priority Data:
BA 2005 00270
23 November 2005 (23.1 1.2005)
(71) Applicant (for all designated States except US): BIOACE
I/S [DK/DK]; Rindebaekvej 12, DK-5220 Odense SO
(DK).
(72) Inventors; and
(75) Inventors/Applicants (for US only): ULLER, Bjarne
[DK/DK]; Rindebaekvej 12, DK-5220 Odense SO (DK).
PETERSEN, Gert, Bjorn [DK/DK]; Rindebaekvej 12,
DK-5220 Odense SO (DK).
English (84) Designated States (unless otherwise indicated, for every
kind of regional protection available): ARIPO (BW, GH,
GM, KE, LS, MW, MZ, NA, SD, SL, SZ, TZ, UG, ZM,
ZW), Eurasian (AM, AZ, BY, KG, KZ, MD, RU, TJ, TM),
DK European (AT,BE, BG, CH, CY, CZ, DE, DK, EE, ES, FI,
FR, GB, GR, HU, IE, IS, IT, LT, LU, LV,MC, NL, PL, PT,
RO, SE, SI, SK, TR), OAPI (BF, BJ, CF, CG, CI, CM, GA,
GN, GQ, GW, ML, MR, NE, SN, TD, TG).
Published:
— with international search report
For two-letter codes and other abbreviations, refer to the "G uid
ance Notes on Codes and Abbreviations" appearing at the beg in
ning of each regular issue of the PCT Gazette.

(54) Title: BIOGAS PLANT AND PROCESS WITH IMMOBILISED BACTERIA

Build-up and flow direction through the BG plant

Gas out

Overflow
chamber 2 to 3 j . Treated, de-.
material out

feed in

r
Sediment out

(57) Abstract: Device and method for biogas production by digestion of waste water or manure. The device consists of four com-
partments and the substrate is led to flow from the first via the second and third, to the fourth tank. The tanks contain a mesh where
microorganisms effecting the methanation are immobilised. The method is caracterised by the start-up procedure during which the
digester is fed to a certain extent with degraded substrate, ie methanation feed. In consequence the growth rate of methanation mi-
croorganisms is increased, ensuring a high concentration of methanation organisms in the digester.
 Biogas plant and process with immobilised bacteria

The BioACE BG separation and biogas plant is a device for converting residual
organic matter like animal manure into combustible methane gas, a thin
nutrient-rich liquid and sediment of high dry-matter concentration.

It is now for the first time possible to operate a rentable energy producing
biogas unit on animal manure from a single farm without the addition of other
high-quality organics.

The BioACE BG plant represents the first truly thorough process and design
renewal since the biogas technology was introduced to the European marked
during the 1970'ieth:

a. Fail proof pre-treatment

b. Simplified flow-through without level control
c. Buiit-in dry matter separation
d . Fixed-filter process technology with balanced biology control
e . Compact plant design with huge plant size reduction by comparison to
existing plants
f . Simplified plant controls. The plant operation does not require special
technical skills
g Removable plant installation
Technical build-up:
a . Pre-treatment of ingoing material ensuring that no particle over 10 mm enters
the digester
b. Four digesting chambers with gas producing and particle sedimenting zones
c . Sediment transport from digester

d . Biogas purification with biological desulphurisation

e . Computer control with data logging

Disadvantages in the conventional biogas digester

The conventional biogas digester has several limitations that prevent the not-so-
big producers of organic residual products from exploiting advantages of the
biogas technology.

16 - 20 DAYS OF HYDRAULIC RETENTIONTIME

The digester dimensions are 16 - 20 times bigger than the daily feed volume
making the plant footprint big in relation to the produced residual volume.

The retention time is only average due to the short-circuiting of some of the feed
that travels directly from feed to bleed (discharge), not being subject to the
biogas producing process.

Large digesters with permanent foundations are expensive and the installation
of a biogas plant will only be rentable when the organic residual producer e.g.
an animal manure producer can supply organics to support digesters of more
than app. 10.000 m3 . Smaller feed volumes can be rentable when high quality
organics are added, but the cost price for such media is comparable to other
fuel prices.
MOBJLE PROCESS CARRIERS

In a conventional bio digester the microorganisms that perform the conversion

from organic matter to biogas can move freely around the digester volume.
Thus, the process is dependent on the different active bacteria to "find" their
substrates - that is the substrate's diffusion rate in the digester medium.

The mobile process carriers are flushed out with the effluent and will be
replaced by new bacteria that arrive with the feed and are produced during the
digester process respectively. The slowest (rate-limiting) bacteria double their
number once every 14'Th day. This sets a limit to the maximum allowable
wash-out. When the limit is exceeded, the digester process will seize due to
lack of active bacteria.
BIOLOGICAL BALANCE

Under most natural circumstances, (organic material present together with the
most widespread microbial activity), all the necessary conditions for making
biogas are present - but not always optimal. The bacteria that degradate
organic material to fatty acids and other metabolites multiply very quickly (app.
20 minutss). The bacteria that under anaerobic conditions utilises the residual
products from these hydrolysing bacteria multiply very slowly (12 - 14 days)
and are very sensitive to changes in their living conditions - e.g. temperature
and pH. The latter strains of bacteria are the biogas forming agents.

In a biogas plant it is necessary to have a high concentration of both main

groups of bacteria to obtain an efficient organics-to-biogas conversion. When
the process is initiated with big numbers of the fast bacteria and smaller
numbers of the slow bacteria the conversion-rate will not be limited by the
number of slow-growing bacteria. Unfortunately, the balance between these
active agents is very difficult to shift after running in the process, making it
essential to facilitate the best starting-up conditions possible.

DEAD ZONES AND CHANNELING

The average digester retention time is determined from the assumption that the
whole digester volume is well agitated. This is hardly ever the case. In the
bottom of a conventional biogas digester, a sediment layer of 1 - 2 meters
forms because the sedimenting particles have no way of escaping when they
fall outside the effluent pipe opening zone. Because of this, dead-zones appear
in the digester where bacteria and substrate cannot find each other.
Consequently, the retention time and there through the bio-active volume will be
reduced.
 Some bacteria secrete a slime-like substance (exo-polymer) when they die.
After app. 6 months of digester operation, the digester liquid will be mixed with
this natural polymer and will act as a thin gel when not stirred. In this situation
the easiest way for new feed to pass through the digester is directly towards the
90 effluent pipe opening. This is called channelling and reduces the digesting
ability of the digester biology because the bacteria never will be presented to a
big part of the substrate.

When continuing the normal feed-rate in this situation, the bacteria that are in
95 the agitated zones and between feed-in and effluent zones risk overfeeding and
the digester will gradually perform poorer. Unfortunately this is most often only
discovered too late because it is not directly visible to the operator until it is too
late.
 Description of trie BioACE BG process

100 THE PROCESS

In the BioACE BG plant exactly the, same biological process as in the

conventional digester goes on:

- Hydrolysing bacteria degradate complex organic molecules to free fatty acids,

105 alcohols, CO 2 and H2.

- Methanogenic bacteria convert these products to methane (CH 4) and CO2 .

The process initiation must be done with respect to the different bacteria
activities. In the Figure 1. graph on page 1/4 of the Graphs and Drawings
110 section the expected start-up and operation curves are shown.
 IMMOBILISATION

In the BG the biological actors are fixed on filters allowing the different bacteria
"families" to live together and to surround themselves with a substrate
permeable slime layer - a bio film.

115 The Immobilisation technique is widely used in the chemical industry. It is very
advantages to hold a catalyst fixed and let the reactant pass through or by. The
active biology in the biogas process is not directly a catalytic process but the
resemblance is evident.

120 By fixating the active biology the digester can be made much smaller because
the nutrient-rich feed liquid just passed by a very high concentration of ready-to-
concert-bacteria "families"

Because the bacteria are no longer flushed out with the digester effluent, The
125 balance ratio between slow and fast growing bacteria can be permanently
changed in favour of the slow growing in order to speed up the overall
conversion rate.

BIOLOGICAL BALANCE
130 If the BG process is initiated the same way the conventional digester processes
are - by letting the bacteria themselves determine the balance between them,
the BG will not be more efficient than the conventional digester - meaning 20
days of retention time to exploit the maximal biogas potential in the feed
material.
135
Because of the bacteria fixation inside the digester the BG process is not
dependent on a certain "sustainability-growth-rate" for the different bacteria.
This allows us to "starve" one kind of bacteria while the other kind is optimally
 nourished. Once the wanted balance between the bacteria has been
140 established it will not change unless the substrate or the operating conditions
changes,

TWO DAYS OF RETENTION TIME

Once the active biology is fixated, washout is no longer a problem. The

maximum organic load acceptable by the newly balanced bacteria can then
145 determine the retention time in the digester.

In a conventional digester the organic load is normally around 5 gVS/L

digester/day (gram organics per litre digester per day).

150 In the BG the organic load can be up to 45 gVS/L/day. This means that a BG
with 60 m digester volume can produce as much biogas as a conventional
digester of 600 m3 .

FLOW THROUGH THE DIGESTER

155 The flow through the digester must be plug-flow. The bio-film in every of the 4
digesting chambers of the BG only sees the substrate that was left unprocessed
by the previous chamber. Because of this, the bacteria in the different chambers
can specialise in converting only the organics that was left unconverted by the
previous chamber's bacteria.

160 SEPARATION

Sedimentation on the bottom of a biogas digester is very often seen. Normally,

the digester must be cleaned regularly to remove the sediment.

The conical bottom of the BG digester collects the sediment as it forms and the
165 sediment is subsequently transported out of the plant by means of an auger.
The auger operating frequency determines the dry matter content of the
sediment up to the maximum dry matter content of app. 30% TS.

The sediment consists αf sand, bone fractions and other indigestible materials.
The dry matter content and the consistency are similar to separation by means
of a decanter centrifuge.

In the sedjment app. 20 % of the total feed material nitrogen can be found as
well as most of the phosphor content in the feed - depending on the pig feed
management.
175

BUILD-UP
The BG consists of 4 separate digesting chambers with interconnection in top
and bottom respectively (see fig. 2 page)

180 Feed-in and effluent outlet occurs in wide slits (troughs) to distribute the
incoming liquid and easing floating-layer discharge.

The effluent goes to a water seal that ensures the correct digester pressure.

The chambers are app. 2/3 filled PE-filters, housing the bio-film,

Incoming liquid and particles can only travel through the digesting areas in the
185 vertical direction. Thus, all parts of the substrate-liquid get in contact to all bio-
film filters in every chamber.

To avoid clogging it is necessary that particles larger than app. 10mm are
prevented to enter the digester.

The produced biogas collects in the head space over the digester liquid and can
190 flow freely through all cambers.
 PLANT CONTROLS

The BioACE BG plant is a fully Integrated biogas plant. The plant controls are
very simple and the forces of nature are widely used. Where possible,
195 gravitation is used instead of technical equipment.

Influent and effluent at the same level

The feed is pumped in, and runs out by itself
A simple water seal maintains the pressure
200 All available technical personnel can perform plant operation

The plant controls are doing the following:

a . Feed-in X times per day.

b. Agitating pre-storage tank for Y seconds before the feed pump starts.
c . Feed pump stops when Z m3 has been fed in.
205 d. Repetition of agitation and feed-in cycles if the feed flow meter does (not
measure flow for XX seconds.)
e . Feed-in sequence halts when temperature falls under XY C.
f . Measurement and data logging of; Feed volume, gas production, power
production, power consumption, and digester temperature are displayed on-
210 screen.
 OPERATING CONDITIONS

a . Access to newly produced, pumpable bio-mass (residual organic products)

b. Efficient downsizing of straw and other particles with diameters of more than
215 10mm.

c . Access to 400 V power supply.

d. Access to potable water.

e . Access to effluent receptive areas

220 LOCATION AND UTILISATION OF THE BioACE BG PLANT

The BioACE BG plant can be thought of as a part of the wastewater or manure

treatment system. The plant only requires maintenance of devices similar to
what is already on the farm/industry.

With its small size and the high performance, the BioACE BG plant can be
225 placed everywhere it is wished without a full concrete foundation. This also
means that the plant can be relatively easily removed again.

The digester liquid can be removed from the digester without hurting the
performance ability because of the bacteria immobilisation.

The BioACE BG system can be connected dfrectfy into the existing heating
230 system and deliver heat and power to the surrounding homes, farms and
industries.
 PERFORMANCE
When being fed with 36 m3 pig manure at app. 5% dry matter content, the
BioACE BG 36 plant with 72 m3 active digester volume will produce app.:

235 a . 33 m3 de-gassed biomass with app. 1,3 % dry matter content

. 2 m3 sediment with app. 22% dry matter content

c . 900m3 cleaned biogas /day with app. 65% methane content

d. VS/COD reduction of app. 60%

e. 5800 kWh heat energy by burning all the gas in a biogas boiler.

240 The biogas plant itself consumes app. 18% of this energy.
 Claims for the BioACE BG system

1. The total processing volume of the BioACE B biogas system is 2 x daily

245 available volume of process feed media.

2 . The total process volume shall be divided into three sections or zones:

a . Biogas producing zone where the biogas is formed by the

methane and carbon dioxide producing bacteria.

b. Dry matter sedimenting zone where the particles heavier than

250 water will sediment without being disturbed by agitation devices.

c . Biogas collecting zone where the produced biogas will be

collected. The biogas formation makes enough pressure to allow
the produced biogas to flow out of the collecting zone to the
subsequent biogas cleaning, storage and consummation.

255 3. The zones can be one integrated system or stand alones.

4 . The digester (biogas producing zone) consists of four consecutive tanks

that allow for a liquid to flow from the first tank and to the fourth tank by
flowing downwards through the first tank, upwards through the second
tank, downwards through the third tank and upwards through the fourth
260 tank.

5 . The digester liquid that flows through the four tanks must be moved by
gravity that is the in-flow in the first tank must be applied from a
vertically higher point than the effluent leaves the fourth tank. Thus, the
incoming feed pushes out the treated liquid at the flow rate specified in
265 claim 8 .

6 . The active biology shall maintain temperatures within the range of 25

degree Celsius to 54 degree Celsius.
 7 . The biogas producing zone shall contain an immobilisation media that

can harness the process bacteria.

270 8 . The active bacteria shall be immobilised inside the digester by means of
growth on a polyethylene mesh media that allows bacteria growth
attached to the immobilisation medium.

9 . The immobilisation medium shall allow for the substrate liquid to flow
past the immobilised bacteria at the maximum peak flow velocity of
275 0,000278 meters per second and the maximum average flow of
0,00004167 m/s

10. The active bacteria attach to the immobilisation medium. The biological
degradation of the organic matter and the subsequent production of
biogas ocόur through the metabolic pathways of several bacteria strains
280 that feed on each other's metabolic products. In the BioACE BG biogas
process two main kinds of bacteria are managed during the process.
One main bacteria group is the degradating the complex organic material
into acetic acid, alcohols, carbon dioxide and hydrogen. The other main
bacteria group consumes these products and produce the methane
285 biogas. Some of the alcohols, carbon dioxide and hydrogen are also
converted into methane gas. The degradating bacteria are very robust,
replicate every 40-120 minutes and operate perfectly under both cold
(25) and hot (53) conditions and high (>9) pH and low (<5) pH. The
methane forming bacteria operate only at very stable temperatures. Their
290 growth-rate and production-rate is greatly inflicted by the temperature. To
perform well they need a very stable temperature that will not fluctuate
very much over time.

11.Once the different bacteria "families" are formed and attached to the
immobilisation medium as a bio-film the biological balancing can start.
295 This process invention exploits properties of the formed bio-film. The
 degradating bacteria are present in a larger number than the methane
producing bacteria. The biologically balancing has the goal of equalising
the production speed of the main bacteria groups in a way that allows the
process to occur at the speed of the fastest bacteria in stead of -as in
300 the conventional biogas producing process- letting the slowest bacteria
be rate-limiting for the whole process.

The means of balancing the active biology is to stop feeding the fastest
bacteria and let that bacteria sit inactively in the bio-film. At the same
305 time, the slowest bacteria will be fed in a controlled way that allow for
that bacteria to produce biogas and replicate at its highest pace.

During the biological balancing process the digester is fed with the
metabolic products of the degradating bacteria. All four tanks have
310 feeding points for the dosing of the biological balancing medium. The
digester liquid is recirculated while the dosage of the biological balancing
medium is going on.

The dosing will begin at the rate of 1 gram of methane bacteria feed
315 per digester volume Litre per day. When the methane production
occurs according to the dosed methane bacteria feed and the
concentration of methane bacteria feed inside the digester does not
increase the dosing will be increased every day and will be terminated
when the methane bacteria accepts the load of 25 to 4δ g methane
320 bacteria feed per digester volume Litre per day.

Towards the end of the biological balancing the actual digester feed will
slowly replace the methane bacteria feed. When the digester is fed solely
with the actual feed that can be manure, slaughterhouse waste, dairy
325 sludge, silage, etc. and the methane production and the digester
concentration of degradating bacteria products is at an acceptable level
the biological balancing j finalised.
 12. The degradating bacteria have the capacity to degradate the incoming
330 organic matter within two days. In the normal biogas digester, the
methane producing bacteria are not able to remove the products of the
degradation fast enough and get inhibited. When the number of methane
bacteria is high enough and they are immobilised along with the
degradating bacteria, the methane bacteria can take in all the
335 degradating bacteria can produce. Thus, the fastest bacteria instead of
the slowest set the degradation and biogas formation speed.

13. The imrriobilisation medium is a polyethylene mesh of extruded roughed-

up polyethylene tubes. The immobilisation filters are placed with the
tubes standing vertically. When the digester feed enters the first tank the
340 feed will enter the immobilisation tubes and flow vertically down through
the filters at the flow velocity stated. The bacteria are housed on the
mesh that makes up the walls of the immobilisation tubes. As the feed
passes through the digester tanks the contact between active bacteria
and feed substrate is very good and removes the need for in-digester
345 agitation. In the conventional biogas digester a thorough agitation is
needed to provide contact between the active bacteria and the feed
substrate. The volume flow to immobilisation media surface area shall be
at a maximum of 0,8 L feed per m2 immobilisation media per day.

14. As the bacteria are immobilised in the four tanks and the flow always
350 occurs from tank one to tank four, no bacteria is transferred from a
downstream tank to an upstream tank. Thus, the active biology growing
on the immobilisation medium in the tanks specialises in feeding on what
always come from the upstream tank; Tank one receives the raw
biomass, In the biomass some easy digestible fats and sugars will be.
355 The bacteria in tank one are used to this and quickly remove the easy
digestibles leaving the rest of the organic matters to the next tank. The
bacteria in tank two are used to receive what is left from tank One, and
 specialises in converting that into biogas. The same action goes on in the
remaining two tanks. Thus, by immobilising and balancing the digesting
360 biology the digester as a whole specialises in converting exactly the feed
available into biogas and freed nutrients,

15. A s no agitation occurs in the digester it is possible to create a "dead-

zone" sedimentation in the bottom part of the digester. In the
conventional digester, sedimentation also occurs but in a way that makes
365 the formed sediment difficult to remove. At the same time the agitation
action stirs up many particles that are actually heavier than water and
thus would sediment when given the chance. The BioACE BG biogas
plant has a conical bottom that collects the sedimented particles that fall
through the still standing liquid in the, sedimenting zone. When enough
370 particles have collected in the cone the built-in-auger will start and
transport the sediment out of the digester as a sludge fraction with dry
matter contents between 20 and 30% dry matter.

The sediment will contain much of the phosphor and nitrogen that the
375 current regulations do not want to be in the treated effluent. Thus, the
produced sediment lives up to the EU legislation regarding the farmland
area demand dispensation,

16. The produced biogas is water saturated and polluted with hydrogen
sulphur (H2S). The gas is desulphurised biologically with the addition of
380 atmospheric air. After desulphurisation the bipgas is led to the
condensation unit where the biogas is cooled to 5 - 10 degree Celsius.
When cooled the water content of the gas decreases greatly and the
water that can no longer b e in the gas condenses to liquid water. The
condenser section of the gas treatment is the coolest part of the whole
385 plant. When the gas is led from the condenser to the gasholder the gas is
 "dry" in the sense that water no longer can fall out of the gas as the
temperature of the gas holder is higher than the dew-point.

17. The biogas production is allowed to pressurise the whole system to

Ombar to 45mbar pressure. When the pressure rises over the
390 maximum allowable, or under the minimal allowable, four safety
precautions come into action;

a . The gas flare-stack. When the pressure raises over the normal
operation pressure the flare stack will burn the gas for as long as it
is necessary to lower the gas pressure to an acceptable level.

395 b. When the gas pressure increases even though the gas flare-stack
is activated the gas will bobble out through the two independent
water-seals. One water-seal is the gas condenser water-seal and
the other is the treated digester effluent water-seal.

c . When the gas pressure increases even though the gas flare-stack
400 is activated and the gas is bobbling out of the two water-seals the
certified mechanical pressure/vacuum valve in the digester top will
open and let out the overpressure.

d . When the gas pressure inside the gas system and/or the digester
falls under an allowable level the mechanic pressure/vacuum
405 valve in the digester top will open and let in atmospheric air to
equalise the gas pressure.

18. The de-gassed digester effluent is taken out from the digester through
three wide troughs that span over the total digester width. When treating
organic residual products the risk of foaming is always present. Foam
410 formation inside biogas digesters is a big problem in conventional biogas
systems, as the foam has no way out of the digester. In some systems
the foam is allowed to escape through a round pipe in the digester side.
Foam does not enter round holes in a container wall but tends to fill the
available gas-producing space and flow out through the gas piping. The
troughs in the BioACE BG effluent section allow the foam to break off in
the whole digester width. This feature takes the formed foam out of the
digester at the same rate as the digester effluent.
 A. CLASSIFICATION OF SUBJECT MATTER

IPC: see extra sheet

According to International Patent Classification (IPC) or to both national classification and IPC
B. FIELDS SEARCHED
Minimum documentation searched (classification system followed by classification symbols)

IPC: AOlC, C02F, C12M

Documentation searched other than minimum documentation to the extent that such documents are included in the fields searched

SE,DK,FI,NO classes as above

Electronic data base consulted during the international search (name of data base and, where practicable, search terms used)

EPO-INTERNAL, WPI DATA, PAJ

C. DOCUMENTS CONSIDERED T O BE RELEVANT

Category* Citation of document, with indication, where appropriate, of the relevant passages Relevant to claim No.

US 6254775 B l (MCELVANEY), 3 July 2001

(03.07.2001), column 2 , line 54 - line 65;
column 3 , line 59 - line 65; column 8 ,
line 35 - line 52, column 9 , line 5 - line 12

US 5500112 A (MCDONALD), 19 March 1996

(19.03.1996), figures 1,2, abstract

EP 0213691 A2 (THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE LELAND

STANFORD JUNIOR UNIVERSITY), 1 1 March 1987
(11.03.1987), figures 1-7, abstract

Further documents are listed in the continuation of Box C. )(| See patent family annex.

* Special categories of cited documents:
"A" document defining the general state of the art which is not considered
to be of particular relevance
"E" earlier application or patent but published on or after the international
filing date
"L" document which may throw doubts on priority claim(s) or which is
cited to establish the publication date of another citation or other
special reason (as specified)
"O" document referring to an oral disclosure, use, exhibition or other
means
"P" document published prior to the international filing date but later than
the priority date claimed
Date of the actual completion of the international search
"T" later document published after the international filing date or priority
date and not in conflict with the application but cited to understand
the principle or theory underlying the invention
"X" document of particular relevance: the claimed invention cannot be
considered novel or cannot be considered to involve an inventive
step when the document is taken alone
"Y" document of particular relevance: the claimed invention cannot be
considered to involve an inventive step when the document is
combined with one or more other such documents, such combination
being obvious to a person skilled in the art
"&" document member of the same patent family
Date of mailing of the international search report

19 February 2007 21 -02-

Name and mailing address of the ISA/ Authorized officer
Swedish Patent Office
Box 5055, S-102 42 STOCKHOLM Bertil Dahl/ELY
Facsimile No. +46 8 666 02 86 Telephone No. + 46 8 782 25 00
Form PCT/ISA/210 (second sheet) (April 2005)
 C (Continuation). DOCUMENTS CONSIDERED TO BE RELEVANT

Category" Citation of document, with indication, where appropriate, of the relevant passages Relevant to claim No.

HSU YEN ET AL, "Startup of Anaerobic Fluidized Bed

Reactors with Acetic Acid as the Substrate",
Biotechnology and Bioengineering, 1993, Vol. 41,
p . 347-353, page 347, column 2 , line 6 - line 14,
abstract

US 5413713 A (DAY ET AL), 9 May 1995 (09.05.1995),

abstract

Form PCT/ISA/210 (continuation of second sheet) (April 2005)

 International patent classification (IPC)

C12M 1/107 (2006.01)

AOlC 3/02 (2006.01)
C02F 11/04 (2006.01)
C02F 3/28 (2006.01)

Download your patent documents a t www.prv.se

The cited patent documents can be downloaded at www.prv.se by
following the links:
• In English/Searches and advisory services/Cited documents
(service in English) or
• e-tjanster/anf δ rda dokument (service in Swedish).
Use the application number a s username.
The password is KFXVUILBEC.

Paper copies can be ordered at a cost of 5 0 SEK per copy from

PRV InterPat (telephone number 08-782 28 85) .

Cited literature, if any, will be enclosed in paper form.

Form PCMSA/210 (extra sheet) (April 2005)

 Box No. π Observations where certain claims were found unsearchable (Continuation of item 2 of first sheet)

This international search report has not been established in respect of certain claims under Article 17(2)(a) for the following reasons:

- LJ Claims Nos.:
because they relate to subject matter not required to be searched by this Authority, namely:

2- [X] Claims Nos.: 1 - 1 6

because they relate to parts of the international application that do not comply with the prescribed requirements to such an
extent that no meaningful international search can b e carried out, specifically:

The set of claims of the application is written like a

description and, hence the claims do not define the scope of

3. LJ Claims Nos.:
because they are dependent claims and are not drafted in accordance with the second and third sentences of Rule 6.4(a).

Box No. Ill Observations where unity of invention is lacking (Continuation of item 3 of first sheet)

This International Searching Authority found multiple inventions in this international application, as follows:

1. r~j As all required additional search fees were timely paid by the applicant, this international search report covers all searchable
claims.

2. r~j As all searchable claims could be searched without effort justifying an additional fee, this Authority did not invite payment of
any additional fee.

3. |~j As only some of the required additional search fees were timely paid by the applicant, this international search report covers
only those claims for which fees were paid, specifically claims Nos.:

4. j 1 No required additional search fees were timely paid by the applicant. Consequently, this international search report is
restricted to the invention first mentioned in the claims; it is covered by claims Nos.:

Remark on Protest f~] The additional search fees were accompanied by the applicant's protest and, where applicable,
the payment of a protest fee.
The additional search fees were accompanied by the applicant's protest but the applicable
protest fee was not paid within the time limit specified in the invitation.
No protest accompanied the payment of additional search fees.

Form PCT/ISA/210 (continuation of first sheet (2)) (April 2005)

 Box I I . 2
the invention. In order to be able to carry out a meaningful
search the search has been carried out for what has been
interpreted to be the scope of the claimed invention, namely.

i) A device for biogas production by digestion of waste water

or manure. The device consists of four compartments where the
substrate flows from the first via the second and third, to
the fourth tank. The tanks contain a mesh where microorganisms
effecting the methanation are immobilised.

ii) A method for producing biogas by digestion of waste water

or manure in a digester device consisting of four
compartments. The substrate flows from the first via the
second and third, to the fourth tank. The tanks contain a mesh
where micro organisms effecting the methanation are
immobilised. The method is caracterised by the start-up
procedure during which the digester is fed to a certain extent
with degraded .substrate, i.e. methanation feed. In consequence
the growth rate of methanation microorganisms is increased,
ensuring a high concentration of methanation organisms in the
digester.

Accordingly, the search has covered the general aspects of the

invention to some extent, although the application lacks the
necessary precision in the definition of the method for which
protection is sought.

Form PCT7ISA/210 (extra sheet) (April 2005)

 Information on patent family members
PCT/DK2006/000657

US 6254775 Bl 03/07/2001 NONE

US 5500112 A 19/03/1996 AT 155443 T 15/08/1997

AU 7774791 A 11/11/1991
CA 2081114 A,C 25/10/1991
DE 69126870 DJ 05/03/1998
DK 526590 T 23/02/1998
EP 0526590 A ,B 10/02/1993
ES 2106089 T 01/11/1997
GB 2243603 A ,B 06/11/1991
GB 9009205 D 00/00/0000
GB 9108645 D 00/00/0000
GR 3025059 T 30/01/1998
WO 9116270 A 31/10/1991

EP 0213691 Z 11/03/1987 AU 589898 B 26/10/1989

AU 4443585 A 08/01/1987
CA 1294070 C 07/01/1992
DE 3686107 D,T 04/03/1993
JP 1971981 C 27/09/1995
JP 7000030 B 11/01/1995
JP 62032876 A 12/02/1987
JP 62081841 U 25/05/1987
US 5091315 A 25/02/1992

US 5413713 A 09/05/1995 NONE

Form PCT/ISA/210 (patent family annex) (April 2005)