Abstract
The increasingly adverse effects of climate change caused by a variety of fossil-based fuel demands an alternative to such fuel. Hydrogen is one of the potential renewable fuel that offers numerous advantages compared to its competitors. However, the dominant hydrogen production methods are still energy-heavy and dependent on fossil-based resources. Microbial electrolysis cell or MEC system is one of the leading solution towards replacing conventional hydrogen production method. A persistent downside to this system in the presence of methanogens that consumes the hydrogen product. This research proposes alternative biological method to control the methanogen colony by introducing isolates of denitrifying bacteria to the system which will act as inhibitor to hydrogenotrophic methanogen. The reactor implemented is a single-chambered, membrane-less 20-ml reactor. Net hydrogen yield produced in the cathodic headspace will be analyzed by gas chromatography (GC). Hydrogen yield for reactor with enriched cathode is expected to be higher in comparison to unenriched reactor, as nitrogen oxides produced during the metabolism of the denitrifiers were known to inhibit methanogen growth. Experimental results showed consistent higher H2 yield in inoculated reactor compared to control reactor, where in the second cycle H2 production increased 100% compared to the control.
Highlights
Fossil fuel usage brought more harm than good
The color of the medium will change from light blue to colorless in an oxygen-free environment, which indicates growth of microorganism that eats the aqueous oxygen [17]
No bubbles were observed in reactor C which indicates that the voltage used was high enough to enable H2 production by MEC mechanism but low enough that H2 is not produced by any other sort of mechanism such as water electrolysis [15]
Summary
Fossil fuel usage brought more harm than good. Negative environmental consequences such as climate change and the rising global temperature level are just some to name. Hydrogen gas or H2 for short, is one of the most promising leading candidates of renewable energy of the future. It emits almost zero carbon dioxide [1] and nitrous oxide [2] to the atmosphere, has high calorific value at 120-140 MJ/kg compared to petrol at 44-46 MJ/Kg, and it is not perceived negatively in the politic and economic sector [3]. Microbial Electrolysis Cell (MEC for short) system is one of the alternative method for H2 production that has been gaining traction due to its relatively cheap and easy to obtain substrate (e.g. wastewater) that has multiple possible applications, ranging from energy production (H2 and CH4) to wastewater treatment [4] [5]
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