High Performance of Biohydrogen Production in Packed-Filter Bioreactor via Optimizing Packed-Filter Position

In this present investigation, a packed-filter bioreactor was employed to produce hydrogen utilizing an expired soft drink as a substrate. The effects of feeding substrate concentrations ranging from 19.51, 10.19, 5.34, 3.48, to 2.51 g total sugar/L were examined, and the position of the packed filter installed in the bioreactor at dimensionless heights (h/H) of 1/4, 2/4, 3/4, and 4/4 was studied. The results revealed that with a substrate concentration of 20 g total sugar/L and a hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 1 h, a packed filter placed at the half-height position of the bioreactor (h/H 2/4) has the optimal hydrogen production rate, hydrogen yield, and average biomass concentration in the bioreactor, resulting in 55.70 +/- 2.42 L/L/d, 0.90 +/- 0.06 mol H-2/mol hexose, and 17.86 +/- 1.09 g VSS/L. When feeding substrate concentrations varied from 20, 10, to 5 g total sugar/L with the packed-filter position at h/H 2/4, Clostridium sp., Clostridium tyrobutyricum, and Bifidobacterium crudilactis were the predominant bacteria community. Finally, it was discovered that the packed-filter bioreactor can produce stable hydrogen in high-strength organic effluent.

Automated summary

The study found that using an expired soft drink as a substrate in a packed-filter bioreactor, with a substrate concentration of 20 g total sugar/L and the packed filter placed at the half-height position of the reactor, resulted in optimal hydrogen production rate and yield. The predominant bacterial communities in this setup were Clostridium sp., Clostridium tyrobutyricum, and Bifidobacterium crudilactis. Furthermore, the packed-filter bioreactor demonstrated stable hydrogen production in high-strength organic effluent.