Yanyan Jing

Effect of substrate concentration on hydrogen production by photo-fermentation in the pilot-scale baffled bioreactor.

Effect of substrate concentration on photo-fermentative hydrogen production was studied with a self-designed 4m3 pilot-scale baffled photo-fermentative hydrogen production reactor (BPHR). The relationships between parameters, such as hydrogen production rate (HPR, mol H2/m3/d), hydrogen concentration, pH value, oxidation-reduction potential, biomass concentration (volatile suspended solids, VSS) and reducing sugar concentration, during the photo-fermentative hydrogen production process were investigated. The highest HPR of 202.64±8.83mol/m3/d was achieved in chamber #3 at a substrate concentration of 20g/L. Hydrogen contents were in the range of 42.19±0.94%-49.71±0.27%. HPR increased when organic loading rate was increased from 3.3 to 20g/L/d, then decreased when organic loading rate was further increased to 25g/L/d. A maximum HPR of 148.65±4.19mol/m3/d was obtained when organic loading rate was maintained at 20g/L/d during continuous bio-hydrogen production.

Enzyme hydrolysis kinetics of micro-grinded maize straws

This study applied micro-grinding to disintegrate the maize straws and then use the micro-grinded straws of particle sizes particle size 53-61, 80-96 or 150-180μm, for subsequent enzyme hydrolysis tests. The reducing sugar productivity was increased with reducing particle size. A kinetic model considering product inhibition was developed as follows t=aln[S]0[S]0-[P]+b[P], where S, P and t are the substrate, enzyme and hydrolysis time, respectively, and a and b are fitting parameters. The initial substrate concentration is proportional to the total exposed surface area. Additionally, the mechanical grinding can increase the biomass affinity for enzyme attack, suggesting the enhanced local action of shearing on the fiber matrix surfaces. The enhanced hydrolysis efficiency of the micro-grinded straws is welcomed by the subsequent refinery steps.