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Optimization of Substrate Concentration for Sustainable Biohydrogen Production and Kinetics from Sugarcane Molasses: Experimental and Economical Assessment

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Abstract

The aim of the study was to optimize the concentration of cane molasses (10, 20, 40 and 50 g/L) for bioconversion into hydrogen through the use of pure strain of anaerobic facultative bacteria Enterobacter aerogenes. The maximum hydrogen production rate (142 mL/h), hydrogen yield (6.02 mM/g sugar) and maximum specific growth rate (0.36 h−1) of bacteria was achieved on substrate concentration of 40 g/L at 30 °C with initial pH of 6.8. The present experimental data was found to be best fitted in Moser equation (R2 = 0.98) and compared with other growth models used in the study. The comparative economic feasibility of hydrogen production was also assessed and compared with ethanol production reported in the literature and it shows a better feasibility of biohydrogen production rate of 116.9 L/L molasses/day, than the ethanol production 0.375 L/L molasses/day, production cost of bioenergy at 0.046 $/L-molasses/day and high energy recovery of 1.26 MJ/L-molasses.

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Acknowledgements

The authors want to acknowledge Department of Environmental Science, Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University, Lucknow (U.P.), India and Sardar Swarn Singh National Institute of Renewable Energy, Kapurthala, (Punjab), India, for providing laboratory facility to carry out the experimental works.

Funding

Funding was provided by University Grants Commission.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Bioenergy and Wastewater Treatment Laboratory, Department of Environmental Science, Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University, Lucknow, U.P., 226025, India

    Virendra Kumar, Richa Kothari & Vinayak V. Pathak

  2. Thermochemical Conversion Division, Sardar Swaran Singh National Institute of Renewable Energy, Kapurthala, Punjab, 144 601, India

    S. K. Tyagi

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  1. Virendra Kumar
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Correspondence to Richa Kothari.

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Kumar, V., Kothari, R., Pathak, V.V. et al. Optimization of Substrate Concentration for Sustainable Biohydrogen Production and Kinetics from Sugarcane Molasses: Experimental and Economical Assessment. Waste Biomass Valor 9, 273–281 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12649-016-9760-5

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