Effect of food to microorganism ratio on biohydrogen production from food waste via anaerobic fermentation

• Published in: International journal of hydrogen energy Vol. 33; no. 23; pp. 6968 - 6975
• Main Authors: Pan, Jinming, Zhang, Ruihong, El-Mashad, Hamed M., Sun, Huawei, Ying, Yibin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 01.12.2008; Elsevier
• Subjects: Alternative fuels. Production and utilization; Anaerobic fermentation; Applied sciences; Biohydrogen; Energy; Exact sciences and technology; Food waste; Fuels; Hydrogen; Renewable energy; California; United States; North America; America; Food waste; Anaerobic fermentation; Biohydrogen; Renewable energy; Biotechnology; Residential building; Yield; Hydrogen production
• ISSN: 0360-3199; 1879-3487
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ijhydene.2008.07.130

The effect of different food to microorganism ratios (F/M) (1–10) on the hydrogen production from the anaerobic batch fermentation of mixed food waste was studied at two temperatures, 35 ± 2 °C and 50 ± 2 °C. Anaerobic sludge taken from anaerobic reactors was used as inoculum. It was found that hydrogen was produced mainly during the first 44 h of fermentation. The F/M between 7 and 10 was found to be appropriate for hydrogen production via thermophilic fermentation with the highest yield of 57 ml-H 2/g VS at an F/M of 7. Under mesophilic conditions, hydrogen was produced at a lower level and in a narrower range of F/Ms, with the highest yield of 39 ml-H 2/g VS at the F/M of 6. A modified Gompertz equation adequately ( R 2 > 0.946) described the cumulative hydrogen production yields. This study provides a novel strategy for controlling the conditions for production of hydrogen from food waste via anaerobic fermentation.