Continuous biohydrogen and biomethane production from whey permeate in a two‐stage fermentation process

Abstract

This study focuses on the exploitation of the two‐stage continuous fermentation process for biohydrogen and biomethane production from whey permeate. Mesophilic fermentative biohydrogen production was investigated at a constant hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 24 h and organic loading rates (OLRs) of 20, 25, 30, and 35 kg COD/m3·d. The hydrogenogenic reactor was successfully operated at OLR of 30 kg COD/m3·d when the proportion of hydrogen in biogas, volumetric productionrsquo rate of hydrogen, and hydrogen yield reached the maximum values of 44.6 ± 0.8%, 5.26 ± 0.15 L H2/d, and 4.19 mol H2/kg CODremoved, respectively. The effluent from hydrogenogenic reactor was further digested to biogas in the second reactor operated at a HRT of 3 d and variable OLR in the range of 0.9–1.9 kg COD/m3·d. Maximum biogas production rate, volumetric production rate of methane and methane yield were 16.90 ± 0.6 L/d, 11.95 ± 0.6 L CH4/d, and 0.12 m3 CH4/kg CODadded. The total chemical oxygen demand elimination from whey permeate reached 98% in a two‐stage process. © 2013 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Environ Prog, 33: 1411–1418, 2014