Influence of organic loading rate on the fermentative hydrogen production

• Grant number: 12/06150-1
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Doctorate
• Start date: September 01, 2012
• End date: April 30, 2013
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Sanitary Engineering - Water Supply and Wastewater Treatment
• Principal Investigator: Marcelo Zaiat
• Grantee: Melida Del Pilar Anzola Rojas
• Supervisor: Heleen De Wever
• Host Institution: Escola de Engenharia de São Carlos (EESC). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Carlos , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: Flemish Institute for Technological Research, Belgium
• Associated to the scholarship: 09/17491-1 - Hydrogen Production in Down-flow Fixed-bed Anaerobic Reactor, BP.DR

Abstract

The specific organic loading rate (SOLR) has proven to be a key factor on the fermentative production of hydrogen. However, maintaining an appropriate value of the SOLR to achieve high yields of hydrogen is still a challenge. The periodic increase of organic load is presented as a strategy to prevent the decrease in SOLR and consequently increase and maintain a constant hydrogen production. Thus, this work will carry out in an anaerobic structured fixed-bed down-flow reactor with low density polyethylene as support material for biomass attachment. Synthetic wastewater based on sucrose will be used as substrate at concentrations of 1782.5 mg L-1, 3561.1 mg.L-1, 7130.1 mg. L-1 and 14260.2 mg.L-1 for organic load rate (OLR) of 24.7 g-sac.L-1.d-1, 49.4 g-sac.L-1.d-1, 98.7 g-sac.L-1.d-1 and 197.5 g-sac.L-1.d-1, respectively. The influent pH will be around 6.5 and the reactor will be inoculated naturally. The hydraulic detention time (HDT) will be 2 h and the controlled temperature at 25 ° C. The reactor will be operated continuously during 120 days and each OLR will be monitored during a period of 30 days without reinoculation system. (AU)

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

ANZOLA-ROJAS, MELIDA DEL PILAR; ZAIAT, MARCELO; DE WEVER, HELEEN. Improvement of hydrogen production via ethanol-type fermentation in an anaerobic down-flow structured bed reactor. Bioresource Technology, v. 202, p. 42-49, FEB 2016. (12/06150-1)