Bio-hydrogen production from organic wastes in a pilot plant reactor and its use in a SOFC

✍ Scribed by B. La Licata; F. Sagnelli; A. Boulanger; A. Lanzini; P. Leone; P. Zitella; M. Santarelli

• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 2011
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 452 KB
• Volume: 36
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0360-3199
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ijhydene.2011.01.096

✦ Synopsis

The aim of this study is to investigate dark anaerobic fermentation in a pilot scale reactor (V ¼ 35 l) under batch conditions for the production of bio-H 2 as a clean and sustainable vector of energy. The inoculum of the reactor was an anaerobic wastewater sludge, previously treated with HCl 1N for 24 h at pH 3 in order to inhibit the methanogenic bioactivity. The sludge was inoculated in the reactor and fed with a solution containing organic wastes (fruit and vegetables unsold stock) at an initial sugar concentration of 53 g/l.

The experiments were conducted at room temperature (24 C) under anaerobic conditions; temperature, pH and ORP were monitored online.

The process led to a total gas production of 240 l containing H 2 (49%) and CO 2 (51%), whereas no CH 4 was detected in the gas.

An experiment, where the bio-hydrogen produced has been used as a fuel for an anodesupported SOFC, is presented.