Process investigations of extreme thermophilic fermentations for hydrogen production: effect of bubble induction and reduced pressure

Abstract

Hydrogen production via thermophilic dark fermentation is considered a sustainable way to produce renewable hydrogen. For industrial scale an optimisation of hydrogen production is of highest importance. The aim of this work was to evaluate induced bubble formation and applying reduced pressure as methods of removing produced hydrogen instead of external gas stripping. Evaluation was carried out in a continuously stirred tank reactor using the extremely thermophilic bacterium Caldicellulosiruptor saccharolyticus. The addition of a bubble formation inductor was able to maintain the fermentation, but only at low hydrogen production rates and yields. Applying reduced pressure at a level of 305 mbar, nitrogen stripping could be omitted and hydrogen yields of around 72% of the theoretical maximum were achieved. It was proven, that application of reduced pressure is a promising alternative to inert gas stripping to obtain high hydrogen productivities and yields for thermophilic dark fermentations.