title: Integrated hydrogen production process from cellulose by combining dark fermentation, microbial fuel cells, and a microbial electrolysis cell.
abstract: Hydrogen gas production from cellulose was investigated using an integrated hydrogen production process consisting of a dark fermentation reactor and microbial fuel cells (MFCs) as power sources for a microbial electrolysis cell (MEC). Two MFCs (each 25 mL) connected in series to an MEC (72 mL) produced a maximum of 0.43 V using fermentation effluent as a feed, achieving a hydrogen production rate from the MEC of 0.48 m(3) H(2)/m(3)/d (based on the MEC volume), and a yield of 33.2 mmol H(2)/g COD removed in the MEC. The overall hydrogen production for the integrated system (fermentation, MFC and MEC) was increased by 41% compared with fermentation alone to 14.3 mmol H(2)/g cellulose, with a total hydrogen production rate of 0.24 m(3) H(2)/m(3)/d and an overall energy recovery efficiency of 23% (based on cellulose removed) without the need for any external electrical energy input.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology (SKLUWRE, HIT), Harbin 150090, PR China. waj0578@hit.edu.cn
authors.forename: Aijie
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Dan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Guangli
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cao
authors.forename: Haoyu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Nanqi
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ren
authors.forename: Wei-Min
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Bruce E
authors.initials: BE
authors.lastname: Logan
mesh_terms: D001674:Bioelectric Energy Sources; D019149:Bioreactors; D002482:Cellulose / Q000378:metabolism*; D002681:China; D002849:Chromatography, Gas; D004572:Electrolysis; D005285:Fermentation; D006859:Hydrogen / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D006859:Hydrogen; D002482:Cellulose