Title:
Experimental Verification of Chemical Pre-Treatments to Increase Biohydrogen Production from Fruit and Vegetable Organic Refuses
Author(s):
Tommasi, T., Ruggeri, B.
Document(s):
Paper
Abstract:
Objectives of the paper are: to evaluate the opportunity to increase the dark bioH2 production from vegetables waste by mechanical pre-treatment followed by acid or basic treatment and to verify the feasibility and reproducibility of H2 production using vegetable bio-wastes taken along yearly seasons. The bio-waste material was taken from the local fruit and vegetable market of large populated city. It was first weighed, cut in small pieces and then homogenized by a kitchen blade mixer. After that, the waste was treated by acid and base for 24 h at 30 °C in a thermostatic chamber. To evaluate the efficacy into produce hydrogen each pre-treated portion were inoculated with Hydrogen Forming Bacteria (HFB) consortium and the hydrogen production was monitored during time. The pre treatment with a base resulted to be the more efficient. A test under pH-controlled condition of organic refuse was performed by a stirred-batch reactor STR (Minifors HT, Switzerland) with 2 litres in order to evaluate the energy production as hydrogen. A comparison with a test of glucose under the same conditions shows that the organic refuse is able to produce a quantity of energy of 77 % of that of glucose equal to 14.6 L H2/ kgrwaste. The results, in our opinion, shows the feasibility to use vegetables and fruits wastes pre-treated with alkaline chemicals as suitable substrate for bioH2 production; in addition, with a view to work in full-scale the alkaline pre-treatment prevents a large consume of base-solution during fermentation due to continue acids formation towards a general sustainability of the whole process.
Keywords:
organic waste, chemical pretreatment, hydrogen bioenergy
Topic:
Biological conversion - Fermentation, enzymatic processes
Subtopic:
Biological conversion - fermentation, enzymatic processes
Event:
18th European Biomass Conference and Exhibition
Session:
VP2.6.24
Pages:
1417 - 1422
ISBN-13:
978-88-89407-56-1
ISBN-10:
88-89407-56-5
Paper DOI:
10.5071/18thEUBCE2010-VP2.6.24
Price:
FREE
