Optimization of Substrate Concentration for Sustainable Biohydrogen Production and Kinetics from Sugarcane Molasses: Experimental and Economical Assessment

• Published in: Waste and biomass valorization 2018-02, Vol.9 (2), p.273-281
• Main Authors: Kumar, Virendra, Kothari, Richa, Pathak, Vinayak V., Tyagi, S. K.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aerogenes; Bacteria; Bioconversion; Biohydrogen; Economic conditions; Economic models; Energy recovery; Engineering; Environment; Environmental Engineering/Biotechnology; Ethanol; Facultative bacteria; Feasibility studies; Growth models; Growth rate; Hydrogen; Hydrogen production; Industrial Pollution Prevention; Kinetics; Molasses; Optimization; Original Paper; pH effects; Renewable and Green Energy; Renewable energy; Substrates; Sugar; Sugarcane; Waste Management/Waste Technology
• ISSN: 1877-2641; 1877-265X
• DOI: 10.1007/s12649-016-9760-5

The aim of the study was to optimize the concentration of cane molasses (10, 20, 40 and 50 g/L) for bioconversion into hydrogen through the use of pure strain of anaerobic facultative bacteria Enterobacter aerogenes . The maximum hydrogen production rate (142 mL/h), hydrogen yield (6.02 mM/g sugar) and maximum specific growth rate (0.36 h −1 ) of bacteria was achieved on substrate concentration of 40 g/L at 30 °C with initial pH of 6.8. The present experimental data was found to be best fitted in Moser equation (R 2  = 0.98) and compared with other growth models used in the study. The comparative economic feasibility of hydrogen production was also assessed and compared with ethanol production reported in the literature and it shows a better feasibility of biohydrogen production rate of 116.9 L/L molasses/day, than the ethanol production 0.375 L/L molasses/day, production cost of bioenergy at 0.046 $/L-molasses/day and high energy recovery of 1.26 MJ/L-molasses.