Optimization of Biohydrogen Production with Biomechatronics

Shao-Yi Hsia,Yu-Tuan Chou

doi:10.1155/2014/721267

Abstract

Massive utilization of petroleum and natural gas caused fossil fuel shortages. Consequently, a large amount of carbon dioxide and other pollutants are produced and induced environmental impact. Hydrogen is considered a clean and alternative energy source. It contains relatively high amount of energy compared with other fuels and by-product is water. In this study, the combination of ultrasonic mechanical and biological effects is utilized to increase biohydrogen production from dark fermentation bacteria. The hydrogen production is affected by many process conditions. For obtaining the optimal result, experimental design is planned using the Taguchi Method. Four controlling factors, the ultrasonic frequency, energy, exposure time, and starch concentration, are considered to calculate the highest hydrogen production by the Taguchi Method. Under the best operating conditions, the biohydrogen production efficiency of dark fermentation increases by 19.11%. Results have shown that the combination of ultrasound and biological reactors for dark fermentation hydrogen production outperforms the traditional biohydrogen production method. The ultrasonic mechanical effects in this research always own different significances on biohydrogen production.

Highlights

Because hydrogen is clean and sustainable and has high thermal energy, research on hydrogen energy has recently been emphasized in academia and industry
The biological method applies anaerobic microorganism to wastewater treatment, simultaneously converting the organic matter in wastewater into usable hydrogen. This method solves the problem of environmental pollution and develops clean hydrogen energy and is an economic and competitive method of hydrogen production
Reviewing the previous development of destructive ultrasound biological effects, Coakley et al [1] discovered the cavitation of Amoebae under the ultrasonic effects with the frequency 1 MHz and the intensity 515 W/cm2 in 1971, when the number of cells obviously decreased after the irradiation

Summary

Introduction

Because hydrogen is clean and sustainable and has high thermal energy, research on hydrogen energy has recently been emphasized in academia and industry. The biological method applies anaerobic microorganism (primarily clostridium bacteria) to wastewater treatment, simultaneously converting the organic matter in wastewater into usable hydrogen. This method solves the problem of environmental pollution and develops clean hydrogen energy and is an economic and competitive method of hydrogen production. Reviewing the previous development of destructive ultrasound biological effects, Coakley et al [1] discovered the cavitation of Amoebae under the ultrasonic effects with the frequency 1 MHz and the intensity 515 W/cm in 1971, when the number of cells obviously decreased after the irradiation. Spore formation is a severe physiological and biochemical change for thalli.

Methods

Results

Conclusion