High-rate continuous biohydrogen (Bio-H2) production from rice straw hydrolysate using a dynamic membrane bioreactor (DMBR)

• Published in: International journal of hydrogen energy Vol. 71; pp. 465 - 472
• Main Authors: Kim, Saint Moon, Sim, Young-Bo, Yang, Jisu, Ko, Jeun, Kim, Do-Hyung, Kim, Sang-Hyoun
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 19.06.2024
• Subjects: Dark fermentation; Dynamic membrane bioreactor; Microbial population; Rice straw hydrolysate; Scale-up; Rice straw hydrolysate; Dynamic membrane bioreactor; Microbial population; Dark fermentation; Scale-up
• ISSN: 0360-3199
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ijhydene.2024.05.197

This study reports a successful continuous biohydrogen production from rice straw hydrolysate in both 3-L and 20-L dynamic membrane bioreactor (DMBR). In the 3-L DMBR (DMBR I), the maximum average bio-H2 production performance was 32.13 ± 0.71 L H2/L-d, 1.27 ± 0.03 mol H2/mol hexose-equivconsumed, and 96.39 ± 2.12 L H2/d, respectively. The H2 production performance of 20-L DMBR (DMBR II) was comparable to DMBR I, which were 33.15 ± 0.42 L H2/L-d, 1.46 ± 0.03 mol H2/mol hexose-equivconsumed, and 663 ± 8 L H2/d, respectively. Rapid decline of hydraulic retention time (HRT) in the early stages of operation led to the metabolic flux of the mixed culture from the lactic acid pathway to the H2-producing pathway. Genus Clostridium was the dominant microbial population in DMBR I and DMBR II. This study provides operational criteria and insights in the scale-up design and operation of biohydrogen production from lignocellulosic biomass. •Rice straw was converted to H2 in 3-L and 20-L dynamic membrane bioreactor.•663 ± 8 L H2/d was recovered continuously from a 20-L bioreactor.•Maximum H2 production was 33.8 L H2/L-d and 1.3 mol H2/mol hexose in 20-L bioreactor.•Rapid decrease of HRT in early-stage shifted HLa pathway to H2-producing pathway.•Feeding of rice straw hydrolysate shifted H2-producing pathway from HBu to HAc.